Shalon Nienow, MD

Dr. Shalon Nienow is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California San Diego and Clinical Director of Child Abuse Pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

As a child abuse pediatrician, Dr. Nienow provides medical evaluations for children who are alleged victims of all forms of child abuse/neglect. Dr. Nienow frequently serves as an expert witness in civil and criminal legal proceedings related to all aspects of child maltreatment. Dr. Nienow has conducted research in patterns of disclosure in child sexual abuse as well as methods of testing for sexually transmitted infections in children; and has co-authored publications on both topics. She regularly provides trainings to various members of the multidisciplinary team. Dr. Nienow serves on the NCE planning committee for the AAP Section on Child Abuse and Neglect, was an editor for the AAP’s latest publication of the Visual Diagnosis CD, served on the ABP content development team for Maintenance of Certification for the Child Abuse Sub-Board, and was elected to the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics Counsel on Child Abuse and Neglect. In addition, she was chosen to serve as a subject matter consultant for the 2021 CDC STD Treatment Guidelines section regarding Sexual Assault or Abuse of Children. Areas of professional interest include starvation and torture, abusive burn patterns, psychological maltreatment, medical child abuse, disclosure patterns and sexually transmitted infections.

Education

Undergraduate Education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Graduate Education: Certificate in Anatomy, Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Medical Degree: Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Internship & Residency: Pediatrics, Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Fellowship: Child Abuse Pediatrics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX
Special Certifications:

Board Certified in General Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics
Board Certified in Child Abuse Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics

Scholarly Work

Areas of Interest

Medical Child Abuse
Starvation/Torture
Patterns of Disclosure in Child Sexual Abuse
Sexually Transmitted Infections in Children

Publications

Nienow, SM, Burrell, T, Phillips, J. Sexual Abuse Findings In: Anderst J, ed. Visual Diagnosis of Child Abuse, 4^th Edition. American Academy of Pediatrics [USB flash Drive]; 2016
Kellogg ND, Melville JD, Lukefahr, JL, Nienow, SM, Russell EL. Detection of Genital & Extragenital Gonorrhea & Chlamydia in Children Evaluated for Sexual Abuse. Pediatric Emergency Care. 2018 November; 34 (11): 761-766. 2018
Northrop, SA & Nienow, SM. Medical Management of the Adolescent Sexual Abuse/Assault Victim. In: Laskey T & Sirotnak A, eds. Child Abuse Medical Diagnosis and Management, 4^thLocation: American Academy of Pediatrics. 2019
Kellogg ND, Koek W, Nienow SM. Factors that prevent, prompt, and delay disclosures in female victims of sexual abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect. 101 (2020): 104360. 2020
Rooks V, Wood, JR, Hamele MT, Farnsworth GM, Nienow SM. Perspective: Child abuse in the Military. Pediatric Radiology. 2021 May, 51 (6): 883-890.
Vega, S., Nienow, S. M., Huang, M. Z., & Stover, L. B. (2023). Medical Child Welfare Task Force: a multidisciplinary approach to identifying medical child abuse. Pediatrics, 151(2), e2022058926.
Kellogg, ND, Nienow, SM. Torture and Starvation In: Physical Abuse Series. Evidentia Learning. [elearning module]
Joskowitz, K., Patwardhan, U. M., Floan, G. M., Heflinger, M., Cruz, S., David, M., ... & Ignacio, R. C. (2023). Evaluating outcomes of non-accidental trauma in military children. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 10-1097.
Jadhav, P., Sears, T., Floan, G., Joskowitz, K., Nienow, S., Cruz, S., ... & Ignacio, R. C. (2024). Application of a machine learning algorithm in prediction of abusive head trauma in children. Journal of pediatric surgery, 59(1), 80-85.

Most Relevant Presentations

2015: Invited Speaker, School Health Education Institute , New Mexico Public Education Department, “Sexual Abuse Awareness”
2015: Invited Speaker, Head To Toe, New Mexico Department of Health, “Recognizing and Responding to Child Abuse”
2015: Invited Speaker (co-presenter), NM-Child Abuse Prevention Partnership, 1^st Annual State-Wide Train the Trainer Summit, “Patterns of Disclosure in Childhood Abuse”
2016: Invited Speaker, New Mexico Children’s Law Institute, 23^rd Annual Multidisciplinary Conference, “Human Trafficking”
2016: Invited Speaker, New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, NM Advanced SANE Conference, “Updates in STI Testing”
2017: Invited Speaker, New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, NM Advanced SANE Conference, “Human Trafficking” & co-presenter “Being an Expert Witness”
2017: Invited Speaker, Indian Health Services Dental Clinic, Education for Staff, “Dental Aspects of Child Abuse”
2017: Keynote Speaker, NM Nurse Practioner Counsel, 2017 Fall Conference: Recognizing & Treating Sexual Health, Issues Across the Life Span, “The Medical Response to Human Trafficking”
2018: Invited Speaker, The Boys & Girls Club of San Dieguito Boys, Board of Directors Retreat, “Issues Facing Adolescents Today”
2019: Invited Speaker, 34^th Annual San Diego International, Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment, Mini-plenary Session, “Tainted Love – Sexually Transmitted Infections in Child Abuse”
2019: Invited Speaker, Pediatric Trauma Society 6^th Annual Meeting, “Child Abuse Screening and Management”, San Diego, CA
2020: Invited Speaker, Child Abuse: Non-Accidental Injuries for Medical, Professionals
Children’s Justice Center of O’ahu, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI
2020: Keynote Speaker, Multidisciplinary Response to Child Abuse – SUMMIT, “The Approach to Cases of Child Abuse: A Coordinated MDT Response”, Children’s Justice Center of O’ahu, Fort Shafter, Honolulu, HI
2020: Speaker 35^th Annual San Diego International, Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment
Workshop, “I’ll Show You Mine if You Show Me Yours: Sexual Behaviors in Childhood”
2020: Serious Non-Accidental Harm to Children Training Series. Children’s Justice Centers of Hawaii
“Failure to Thrive & Neglect”, “Starvation & Torture”, “Sexual Abuse Dynamics”, “Sexually Transmitted Infections”
2020: Invited Speaker, Advanced Medical Training, Children’s Alliance of Montana, “Medical Evaluation of Child Sexual Abuse”, “Sexually Transmitted Infections”
2020: Invited Speaker, Grand Rounds Summer Series, “Assessing for child abuse in the age of COVID”
2020: SD County Office of the District Attorney, Training for ADAs in the Family Protection Division
“Sentinel Injuries”, “Sexual Abuse Dynamics”, “Sexually Transmitted Infections”, “Child Endangerment”
2021: Speaker, 36^th Annual San Diego International, Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment
2021: Preconference Institute, “Medical Evaluation of Child Sexual Abuse”
2023: Speaker, 38^th Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment
Preconference Institute, “Medical Evaluation of Child Sexual Abuse” 2023: Speaker 38^th Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment
Workshops: “I’ll Show You Mine if You Show Me Yours: Sexual Behaviors in Childhood”, “The Role of the Medical Director in Pediatric Sexual Assault Nursing Programs”, & “Concepts of Courtroom Testimony and Mock Trial – Part 2”
2023: Invited Speaker, Safe Care New Mexico TeleECHO Program, “STIs in Children”
2023: Invited Speaker, CDAA & California Forensic Medical Institute, Adult and Pediatrics Sexual and Physical Assault Examiner Training, “Child Sexual Abuse and Assault”
2023: Invited Speaker, Southern New Mexico Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Kid’s Inc Child Advocacy Center, “Child Sexual Abuse” & “Normal Sexual Behaviors in Children”
2023: Invited Speaker, NYAR Research Center Research Summit 2023, “Child Abuse Prevention – Teaching Body Autonomy”
2023: Invited Speaker, Illinois Juvenile Prosecutors Institute webinars “Normal Sexual Behaviors in Children”
2023: Invited Speaker, Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship ECHO, National Telemedicine Platform for Education of Child Abuse Fellows, “Medical Child Abuse”
2023: Invited Speaker, International Conference on Forensic Nursing Science and Practice (IAFN), “All Things Pediatric – What Every Pediatric SANE Nurse Should Know
2024: Speaker, 39^th Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment
Preconference Institute, “Medical Evaluation of Child Sexual Abuse”
2024: Speaker 39^th Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment
Workshops: “Physical Abuse For The Forensic Nurse” & “Medical Child Abuse – An MDT Response”
2024: Invited Speaker, Southern New Mexico Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Kid’s Inc Child Advocacy Center, “Abusive Head Trauma” & “Bias In Child Abuse Evaluations”

Professional Activities

Teaching

Scholarly Oversight Committee Member, Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship, University of California San Diego
Clinical Educator for medical students, residents, and fellows rotating with The Chadwick Center at Rady Children’s Hospital to include clinic visits and inpatient consultations
CME Lecturer, for multiple medical professionals across all divisions, subspecialties, and clinical teams at UCSD and Rady Children’s Hospital
Invited Lecturer, for medical learners of all levels, physicians, allied health professionals, law enforcement investigators, child welfare services workers, attorneys, and other professionals

Advocacy

Member, San Diego County Child Protection Team – Rady Children’s Hospital
Member, San Diego County Child Fatality Review Team
Member, International Society on the Protection of Child Abuse and Neglect
Member, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children
Member, Ray E. Helfer Society
Fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics
Executive Committee, Counsel on Child Abuse and Neglect, American Academy of Pediatrics
Executive Commitee, Helfer Society

Service

Board Member, Boys and Girls Club of San Dieguito
Co-Chair, Medical Child Welfare Task Force – Rady Children’s Hospital
Member, Human Trafficking Work Group Rady Children’s Hospital
Member, NCE planning committee for the Counsel on Child Abuse and Neglect, American Academy of Pediatrics
Member Rady Children's Hospital Child Safety Committee