A separate search from Information and Statistics Division of the Scottish Health Service using the ICD-10 coding system was undertaken. To ensure that children who died due to NAHI before admission to hospital were not omitted, we searched the Registrar General database for childhood deaths in Scotland. Only anonymous details were obtained. With these methods we are confident that no cases of NAHI were missed and none doubly recorded. We obtained multicentre and local ethical approval before the study began.
Cases are more common in urban regions and in autumn and winter months.
The risk of a child suffering non-accidental head injury by one year is one in 4,058. These brain injuries occur almost exclusively in young infants. The age distribution of cases is shown in the figure one on page two of this publication. A Swedish study concluded that children at risk of child abuse can be identified, and the incidence reduced by legislation banning corporal punishment. Currently the UK, including the devolved parliaments, has issued consultation documents on the law relating to reasonable chastisement - in particular questioning whether shaking children, blows to the head and the physical punishment of very young children should always be unlawful.