EC Paediatrics

Kempe’s syndrome, or child abuse syndrome according the World Health Organization (WHO), is defined as any form of abuse or neglect affecting a minor under 18 years of age, encompassing all types of physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and commercial or other forms of exploitation that impair the child’s development and dignity. We present the case of a four-year-old male with a history of child maltreatment and parental negligence, including both physical and psychological abuse, associated with a third-degree burn on the right upper limb. The detection of physical signs such as injuries, scars at different stages of healing, and signs of neglect, together with psychological fluctuations manifested in the child’s behavior, enabled the diagnosis of Kempe Syndrome.

 Keywords: Kempe’s Syndrome; Case Report; Thermal Injuries; Maltreatment

1. Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI). National Survey on the Dynamics of Household Relationships (ENDIREH) (2021).
2. Lachica E. “Battered child syndrome: medico-legal aspects”. Cuadernos de Medicina Forense1-2 (2010): 53-63.
3. Loredo-Abdalá., et al. “Child maltreatment: legal aspects in Mexico”. Gaceta Médica de México6 (2019): 629-634.
4. “Child maltreatment”. World Health Organization (2024).
5. Kempe CH. “The Battered-child syndrome”. Journal of the American Medical Association 1 (1962): 17-24.
6. Martagón Cabrera., et al. “Battered child syndrome with stomatologic involvement: case report”. Revista Odontológica Mexicana2 (2016): e96-e104.
7. Ministry of Health. “Guidelines for the presumptive diagnosis of child and adolescent maltreatment”. CNEGSR, Government of Mexico (2006).
8. “Annual report on violence against children and adolescents in Mexico”. Government of Mexico (2023).
9. UNICEF Mexico. “Violence against children in Mexico: Statistics and trends”. UNICEF (2023).