Including a guide to Child Protection Medical Assessments
As part of the SSCP NAI Awareness Week 2025 (#nurturing_all_infants), the partnership want to highlight and raise awareness of the Injuries to Non-mobile Babies and Children Policy.
This multi-agency policy highlights the actions required when babies and/or children present with injuries that may be, or are suspected to be due to physical abuse or non-accidental injury. The policy also includes an overview of the Child Protection medical process.
Children under the age of 2 years are at an increased risk of serious physical abuse and are rarely able to communicate the history themselves. Accidental injuries in non-mobile infants are unusual. Children with a disability who are not able to move independently are also at risk of serious physical abuse.
Even small injuries may be significant, and may be a sign that there is another injury which is not visible e.g. an infant with a small bruise may have multiple fractures in sites distant from the bruise. They may also be a “sentinel injury”, i.e. an injury that, if not recognised as possibly inflicted and acted upon, is associated with later severe or fatal maltreatment.
To find out more about this policy, please click the image below!
