Sentinel Injury
Definition
A minor, often subtle injury in a young child that, on investigation, is the first detected sign of ongoing abuse or is highly specific for inflicted trauma. The concept was formalised by Sheets et al. (2013) and the frenulum tear is a frequently cited example.
Related terms
- Dental Neglect
- Failure by a parent or guardian to seek dental care for a child's untreated oral disease (pain, infection, decay) when such care...
- Labial Frenulum
- The fold of mucous membrane attaching the upper (or lower) lip to the anterior gum margin. Tearing of the upper labial frenulum...
- Patterned Oral Trauma
- Oral or perioral injury whose distribution, shape, or multiplicity is inconsistent with random accidental injury and instead suggests a specific object or...
- Perioral Bruising
- Bruising on the lips, philtrum, or surrounding skin. It can indicate forced feeding, a blow to the face, or gagging, and its...
- Rampant Caries
- Rapidly progressing decay affecting multiple teeth simultaneously, often all accessible surfaces, in a young child. When untreated in a child with clear...
Explained in
- Dental Evidence in Child Abuse RecognitionA minor, often subtle injury in a young child that, on investigation, is the first detected sign of ongoing abuse or is highly specific for inflicted trauma. T...