Hypothermia and cold injuries - rare but severe manifestations of child abuse and neglect.

backgroundWhile thermal injuries caused by heat are well-recognized in cases of child maltreatment, injuries resulting from cold exposure (hypothermia and local cold injury) appear to be rare in this context. Although hypothermia and cold injuries related to child abuse and neglect pose a significant threat to affected children, systematic data on this topic are currently lacking. The goal of this article was to better understand the frequency, forms and contexts of child maltreatment involving cold exposure.

methodsWe conducted a narrative review with systematic elements based on a PubMed search and an additional non-systematic search of German language publications in Google Scholar. Two reviewers independently screened abstracts, applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Full texts of potentially relevant studies were then assessed to determine final inclusion.

resultsThe search yielded 192 search results. Additionally, 4 publications were found in a non-systematic German language search. 22 publications were ultimately included in the review. DISCUSSION: The limited number of publications restricts generalizability. Hypothermia and local cold injuries in child maltreatment mainly affect children under six years and may present in varied forms and scenarios. Underreporting due to non-recognition and potential publication bias should be considered, and differential diagnoses must be carefully assessed in practice.