Child Abuse Allegations

Preventing Accusations

Parents of infants and toddlers who have been diagnosed with OI can take steps to avoid being falsely accused of abusing their child.

• Carry documentation of the diagnosis -- a letter from the child’s primary care physician or orthopedist that includes weekend and night-time contact information
• Meet with the supervising physician of the emergency department at their local hospital
• Plan ahead with their child’s orthopedist about how to handle fractures that occur at night, on weekends or over holidays when emergency rooms are often under staffed

OI or Child Abuse?

False accusations of child abuse may occur in families with children who have milder forms of OI and/or when OI has not previously been diagnosed. It is estimated that about 35% of children diagnosed with OI are born into families with no history of the condition. Symptoms that are typically observed in both child abuse and OI include:

• Fractures in multiple stages of healing
• Fractures that are more severe than expected from the explanation offered by the caregiver

The OI Foundation can provide information about osteogenesis imperfecta, how it is inherited and how it is diagnosed. It cannot evaluate the merits of specific child abuse allegations. The OI Foundation recommends that when concerns arise about fractures seen in infants and young children that the possibility of underlying medical causes be fully explored.

For more information see the fact sheets

• Child Abuse or Osteogenesis Imperfecta
• Child Abuse Issues
• Diagnosis

From the U.S. Surgeon General: