CURBSIDE CONSULT
When Its Just a Bump on the Head: Interpreting Skull Fractures in the Context of Child Maltreatment
James Metz, MD MPH
Our goal is a concise, comprehensive overview of interpreting skull fractures with these objectives:
- Recognize that not all skull fractures in children are the same
- Analyze a case and identify nuances in skull fractures in children
- Importance of developmental level
- Challenges of dating skull fractures
- Importance of the full picture
- Develop a more nuanced approach to responding to skull fractures in children
Dr. Metz is a board certified child abuse pediatrician and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Child Abuse Medicine, at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital.
August 2025
