 Many states have enacted penal statutes prohibiting child abuse, and many have enacted statutes of a general nature, or specifically applicable to cases of child abuse, imposing reporting requirements on physicians, and others in a professional position to recognize abuse.The decision in Landeros v. Flood was the first time that a cause of action was established to exist in favor of a battered child against a physician who negligently failed to diagnose the battered child syndrome or to comply with an applicable reporting statute.Such failure was found to be the cause of further similar injury to the child.