Does the likelihood of non-abusive bruising increase with the age of the child?
Yes. Non-abusive bruising is very rare in children less than 6 months of age and increases with the increasing age of the child. 60% of children between two and four years have some bruising, as many as 80% of children between five and nine years, and 53% of older children Is age the only factor that affects the likelihood of non-abusive bruising? No. It is far more important to know whether the child is cruising, or walking, as this has a direct bearing on the amount of non-abusive bruising the child may have. Levels of non-abusive bruising increase dramatically once a child becomes mobile. This is vitally important when assessing children with developmental delay: clearly a non-mobile two year old should not have the same level of bruising as a child of the same age who is walking.
