@article{ref1,
title="Female genital mutilation in children presenting to a London safeguarding clinic: a case series",
journal="Archives of disease in childhood",
year="2015",
author="Hodes, Deborah and Armitage, Alice and Robinson, Kerry and Creighton, Sarah M.",
volume="101",
number="3",
pages="212-216",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To describe the presentation and management of children referred with suspected female genital mutilation (FGM) to a UK safeguarding clinic. DESIGN AND SETTING: Case series of all children under 18 years of age referred with suspected FGM between June 2006 and May 2014. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: These include indication for referral, demographic data, circumstances of FGM, medical symptoms, type of FGM, investigations and short-term outcome. <br><br>RESULTS: Of the 47 girls referred, 27 (57%) had confirmed FGM. According to the WHO classification of genital findings, FGM type 1 was found in 2 girls, type 2 in 8 girls and type 4 in 11 girls. No type 3 FGM was seen. The circumstances of FGM were known in 17 cases, of which 12 (71%) were performed by a health professional or in a medical setting (medicalisation). Ten cases were potentially illegal, yet despite police involvement there have been no prosecutions. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: This study is an important snapshot of FGM within the UK paediatric population. The most frequent genital finding was type 4 FGM with no tissue damage or minimal scarring. FGM was performed at a young age, with 15% reported under the age of 1 year. The study also demonstrated significant medicalisation of FGM, which matches recent trends in international data. Type 4 FGM performed in infancy is easily missed on examination and so vigilance in assessing children with suspected FGM is essential.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0003-9888",
doi="10.1136/archdischild-2015-308243",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2015-308243"
}