What question did this study set out to answer?

To investigate the relationship between low birth weight and the incidence of battered child syndrome.

July 1, 1971

Low Birth Weight and the Battered Child Syndrome

Key Points

To investigate the relationship between low birth weight and the incidence of battered child syndrome.
Review of 51 cases of battered child syndrome over nine years
Analysis of low birth weight rates compared to Quebec perinatal figures
Examination of maternal history and infant separation data
23.5% of battered infants were low birth weight compared to the expected 7%-8%
Mean hospital stay for affected infants was 41.4 days
There was a notable degree of maternal deprivation and infant isolation prior to battering

Abstract

Fifty-one cases of battered child syndrome seen over a period of nine years at the Montreal Children's Hospital were reviewed to explore the possibility that low birth weight predisposes to this condition. Of these 51 infants, 12 (23.5%) were low birth weight infants; the expected low birth weight rate based on the Quebec perinatal figures is 7% to 8%. Associated with these instances of battering of former low birth weight infants was a high degree of isolation and separation of infant from the parents in the newborn period (mean hospital stay, 41.4 days) and a strong history of deprivation in the maternal history and in the child prior to battering. Suggestions are made for early detection and intervention.

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Low Birth Weight and the Battered Child Syndrome

Key Points

Abstract

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