When I got to the part about the spiral fracture, I had already guessed this was a diaper changing incident--and I was right. There are a surprising number of injuries just like this (see tab below). And they're nearly always committed by male caretakers, especially young male caretakers like UNNAMED DAD. Partly it's the lack of patience, either through nature or nurture. But men also tend to underestimate their upper body strength. There are not a lot of women, unless they lift weights, who would even be physically capable of twisting and breaking a baby's leg. Speaking of women, where is this baby's mom?
INVISIBLE MOTHER ALERT
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-ia-fatherarrested,0,6984907.story
Iowa father arrested after infant's leg broken
Associated Press
2:55 p.m. CST, January 15, 2012
WATERLOO, Iowa— A Waterloo father has been arrested on suspicion of child abuse after doctors discovered his infant suffered a broken leg.
The Waterloo Courier (http://bit.ly/xt2DMs) says police were called to Covenant Medical Center on Thursday for a 9-month-old child with a suspicious injury. Doctors determined the child had a spiral fracture to his femur.
The father told police he believed he may have broken the baby's leg while changing a diaper, but authorities say that scenario is inconsistent with the child's injury.
The 23-year-old father was arrested and faces a charge of felony child endangerment.