A bump here and there can easily happen to children, especially when they are learning to walk or playing contact sports. With infants, however, the same reasoning cannot be given. When an infant has serious injuries, it should be a cause for concern.

Research published in the journal Pediatrics reveals that infants with brain injuries were less likely to be assessed for abuse if they had government health insurance or were African-American.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia pediatric researcher and study leader Dr. Joanne Wood says that the study highlights the need to develop standardized guidelines for detecting abuse.

"The concern is that we may subject children who are not getting abused to unnecessary tests and also miss actual abuse cases," said Wood. "We know from other studies that when physicians fail to recognize and diagnose abuse, children may suffer further abuse that results in more injury or even death."

Detecting and preventing child abuse and neglect can impact many children in the country each year. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data system said that over 1,500 children died in 2006 because of abuse.