Cases of "baby rape" are described in one paper, with attention to the prevalence of this form of abuse in South Africa. In offering explanations for such horrific child abuse, the author argues that the "virgin cleansing myth" is but one small part of such behavior; other cultural and individual psychological factors also play an important part. Another paper notes that infants under 12 months old are most at risk of severe physical abuse. One paper reports on a retrospective study that followed up on all infants presenting with fractures to an accident and emergency department. Of 28 infants with fractures, the study found 7 to be nonaccidental, with 5 diagnosed on presentation but only 2 on subsequent referral. The paper emphasizes the difficulty and importance of early identification of physical abuse, highlighting the effectiveness of using a flow chart. Three papers in the issue address nonaccidental head injury in infants, including shaken-baby syndrome. Another issue addressed in the papers is prevention, which generally lacks theoretical underpinning or systematic means of evaluation. An appeal is made for earlier recognition of physical abuse in babies through a lowered threshold and a thorough investigation protocol. 7 references