Child burn: accident, neglect or abuse. A case report

The authors report a case of a child who has suffered three episodes of burn injuries in a short period of time, probably provoked by neglect or abuse from the parents. This mode of injury is of great importance because of the high mortality, as well as the physical, psychological and social sequelae that it causes. The absence of care and attention from the parents or caretakers contribute to the high frequency of this kind of trauma. In these cases, the admission of the child to the hospital is justifiable, regardless of the size or depth of the burn wound. Aspects concerning the epidemiology are discussed in this article, as are comments based on the literature about infant abuse and neglect.