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Vulnerabilities of babies and children

Vulnerabilities in babies and children

On this page:

    Introduction

    Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (LCSPR), together with other research findings, show that children under one year of age and, in particular, very young babies are extremely vulnerable to being seriously injured or dying as a result of abuse or neglect.

    Resources for practitioners

    Lullaby Trust resources

    Local training

    Vulnerability and risk in young children managing injuries to non-independently mobile children training is provided by ERSCP via their online Learner Management System (LMS). To access the course, you must login, or register an LMS account.

    Vulnerability and risk in young children - course on the LMS

    Call the Lullaby Trust information line on 0808 8026869
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    NSPCC resources

    The NSPCC provides a wide range of information and support for parents and carers.

    NSPCC (external website)

    Core-info

    The NSPCC has produced a range of Core-info leaflets.

    Bruising

    Bruising is the most common injury to a child who has been physically abused. The key messages in the Core-info leaflet, produced with the NSPCC, should help you to know when to be concerned about bruising on children:

    Thermal injuries

    This leaflet should help you to know when to be concerned about thermal injuries that may be the result of abuse or neglect:

    Fractures in children

    The Core-info: Fractures in children leaflet summarises what is currently known about the relationship between fractures and physical abuse. It will be of particular interest to:

    • paediatricians
    • general practitioners
    • radiologists
    • accident and emergency doctors
    • orthopaedic surgeons
    • social workers
    • police
    • legal practitioners.

    Head and spinal injuries

    Core-info and the NSPCC have summarised what is currently known about the clinical presentation of inflicted head and spinal injuries in children. It will be of particular interest to:

    • accident and emergency staff
    • paediatricians
    • general practitioners
    • health visitors
    • child protection conference chairs
    • safeguarding leads
    • children’s services team managers
    • independent reviewing officers
    • local authority designated officers
    • children’s social workers
    • police
    • legal practitioners.

    The information in the leaflet is based on a systematic review of all the quality work in the world literature about abusive fractures in children. Full details are available at:

    Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Guidance.

    ICON resources

    ICON is a programme that provides information about infant crying and how to cope:

    Visit the ICON website (external website)

    Child development

    The ERSCP, working with the NHS East Riding Clinical Commissioning Group has created a child development tool. This is essential knowledge for all workers and their managers who come into contact with children.

    Emotional abuse

    The Emotional neglect and emotional abuse in pre-school children leaflet summarises what is currently known about children, aged less than six years, who have been emotionally neglected or emotionally abused. It considers the behaviour that can be observed in these children and in the interactions between them and their parents:

    Injury prevention

    The Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) is a national charity committed to preventing and reducing the number of children and young people killed, disabled and seriously injured as a result of accidents. It provides information, briefing advice and training services to professionals. It organises high profile safety campaigns.

    The Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT)(external website)

    CAPT - Accidents and child development (external website)

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    Safer Sleep

    The Lullaby Trust provides advice, based on scientific evidence, on how to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), commonly known as cot death. Their advice should be followed for all sleep periods, not just at night. They’ve produced several guides:

    Safer sleep for babies video on YouTube (external website)

    Further resources and information can be found at the Lullaby Trust website:

    Lullaby Trust (external website)

    Or you can call their information line:

    Available Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm

    Baby Check

    Baby Check will help a parent/carer decide whether a baby needs a doctor. It contains 19 simple checks which test for different symptoms or signs of illness. Each check has a score; the higher the score the more sick the baby is likely to be.

    Baby Check app

    Baby Check booklet (external pdf)

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