Perineo-genital injury secondary to sexual assault in a 3-month old female

Abstract

Traumatic injuries to the perineum and external genitalia in children may be accidental, self-inflicted or the result of assault.  Sexual assaults account for majority of the injuries in developed countries while accidental injuries occur more in underdeveloped and developing countries. The injuries may be isolated or associated with trauma to other areas of the body. Perineal injuries constitute 0.2% of the injuries in girls under the age of 15 years while paediatric genital injuries have been reported to represent 0.4 to 8% of childhood trauma. Although, paediatric genital and perineal injuries represent a small proportion of overall injuries seen in childhood; their continued increase in incidence and the resulting morbidity and occasional mortality present them as a public health condition that needs adequate awareness and dissemination of information that could help in preventing and managing these conditions when they occur. The index case resulted from sexual assault in a three-month old baby girl with attendant severe perineal and genital injuries. Perineal and genital injuries in children result from trauma secondary to accidents, self-inflicted injuries and sexual abuse. The importance of this condition is the steady rise in incidence and the resultant morbidity and mortality that may accompany these injuries. However, prompt attention, meticulous repair of all identified injuries usually guarantee satisfactory outcome. Key words:  Perineal, genital, female, 3-month, child, secondary, sexual, injury.