: Bruises that take the shape of an object (e.g., handprints, belt buckles, or kitchen utensils). 3. Psychosocial Dynamics in Maternal Maltreatment
Maternal maltreatment leading to facial injuries is not always about overt rage. Postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, factitious disorder imposed on another (formerly Munchausen by proxy), and substance use disorders can drive a mother to injure her child’s face. In a 2021 case series from Journal of Forensic Nursing , mothers under extreme duress reported targeting the face to “stop the crying” or because the child’s expression “looked like the abuser’s.” facialabuse+facial+abuse+maternal+maltreatm
The connection between and facial emotion processing is a critical area of study in developmental psychopathology. Children who experience maltreatment often develop specialized "perceptual biases" as an adaptation to their high-threat environments. 1. Perceptual Adaptation to Threat : Bruises that take the shape of an object (e