Every Baby Matters – Bruising on babies

A bruise or unexplained mark on a non-mobile baby should never be ignored.

Babies who are not yet able to move independently rarely bruise. While there may be an innocent explanation, any mark or injury requires appropriate assessment.

No single practitioner is expected to determine what has happened. Our responsibility is to notice, respond and ensure the right professionals are involved.

Our multi-agency procedure procedure that sets out how we expect all staff to identify and respond to incidents of bruising in non-mobile infants. We have also created a helpful at-a-glace guide that covers the key information in a document you can download or print, although please note that the practice guidance is intended as a supplementary resource and should be used alongside, not instead of, the full procedure.

This post is part of our Every Baby Matters campaign, which brings together guidance and resources to help keep Devon’s babies safe. You’ll find more information and resources in our Every Baby Matters bulletin.