There is a significant difference between reporting that a child is “covered in bruises” and “has three dime-size, round, yellow and purple bruises just under the kneecap, one on the left leg and two on the right.” The latter could probably be said for the majority of active kids because of how often they bang their shins. Other places, such as the face, head, neck, and buttocks, are not normal bruising sites. The color and shape of bruises can be just as telling as their location. Round bruises typically result from bumping into something. Long, rectangular, or hand-shaped bruises do not.
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