Sentinel injuries and indicators of child physical abuse

Canadian Medical Association Journal 2026 Open access

Read full text
Authors: Hannah McDowell, Suzanne Kathleen Robinson, Megan Cooney, Ashley Stewart-Tufescu, Tracie O. Afifi
DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.251219
Cited by: 0

Abstract

Sentinel injuries are minor, unexplained injuries in pre-cruising infants that are often the first indication of physical abuse, which may precede more serious harm.[1][1],[2][2] In one study, more than 25% of abused infants had had a previous sentinel injury, and nearly half of the injuries were

Fields of Study & Subjects

Child Abuse and Related Trauma Child Abuse and Trauma Homicide Infanticide and Child Abuse

Publication details

Journal / source
Canadian Medical Association Journal
Volume
198
Issue
6
Pages
E220–E221
Publication date
16 February 2026
Language
EN