Sentinel Injuries
When child abuse is suspected, providers are responsible for contacting their state’s child abuse hotline. In many states, there are specific mandated reporter numbers. Physicians and other licensed health care providers are mandated reporters of child maltreatment and neglect.
Mandated Reporters in New York State should call 311 in NYC or call the State Central Register's Mandated Reporter hotline directly at 1(800) 635-1522. If the child is in immediate danger, call 911.
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Sentinel injuries need to be reported to the authorities with very, very few exceptions. For example, if you had a young child who had a child had a bruise on their ear But the parents also had a video of the child falling while they were learning to walk onto the side of the coffee table, bruising the ear.
I would consider that as an potentially as an accidental mechanism that made sense. But in general, sentinel injuries need to be reported to authorities. And you are responsible for contacting the state's child abuse hotline.
In many states, there are specific mandated reporter numbers. And in New York State, if you live in New York City, you can call or you're practicing in New York City and your patient is in that area, you can call 311. Or the state central registers mandated reporter hotline directly at 1-800-635 1522. If the child or you are in immediate danger, call 911.
For those who are working outside of New York State or are non-mandated reporters, you can check out this map for hotline numbers in your state.
