The children who died included of 12 Malays, six Chinese, nine Indian, and one Indonesian and three whose ethnic origin could not be determined. There were 13 males and 17 females. The average age of the abused children was 2 years and 5 months. The most frequent causes of death were intracranial hemorrhage and intra-abdominal trauma. Of the 17 cases of intracranial hemorrhage, only four had X-ray evidence of skull fracture. This suggests the possibility of whiplash injuries with/without the abuser suspecting that he/she had injured the child. Of the 22 abusers who could be identified, there was no sex differentiation. Fathers formed the largest group of perpetrators, followed by mothers and child-care workers. Fifteen of the natural parents of the abused children were married, four were divorced, and four were never married. Five of the abusers had aggressive personalities, and three were drug addicts. Only one abuser was found to be an alcoholic, even though a few were also suspected of being alcoholics. For most cases, trigger factors could not be identified. 4 tables, 2 figures, and 15 references