analysis, based on authors ` research, of child protection decision-making in cases where babies and infants have sustained serious injury and where the parents ` explanation is not borne out by medical opinion. the issues associated with this problem are central to the whole of child protection practice. the text looks at: the nature & interpretation of the injuries, the contexts of the families, the types of explanations for the injuries. crucially, it also considers issues relating to good and bad practice, and makes specific recommendations about decision-making in this context.