Jfcblog’s Blog

Child Abuse is a Public Health Crisis

The number of abusive head traumas among infants and young children appears to have risen dramatically across the United States since the onset of the current recession in 2007, new research reveals.  Abusive head trauma (previously known as “shaken baby syndrome”) is the leading cause of death due to child abuse if you don’t count neglect.   Now we know that poverty and stress are clearly related to child abuse. During times of economic hardship one of the things that’s hardest hit are the social services that are most needed to prevent child abuse. So, this is really worrisome. The study did not find a direct link to unemployment, although most of the patients brought to the E.R. were on medicaid.  According to the researchers, the more likely association is with state and federal social services cuts and psychological stresses propelled by tough times.  Abusive head trauma is one of the most observable indicators of child abuse, because they result from the most extreme domestic violence that requires hospitalization. But there are many, many, many more child abuse cases that we wouldn’t expect to show up as traumatic brain injuries in the ER. So an increase seen in head trauma is probably indicative of an even larger problem. And that means that this finding should really be a major public concern. 

- Rachel P. Berger, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor, pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and attending physician, Children’s Hospital ofPittsburgh; Jay G. Silverman, Ph.D., associate professor, society and humandevelopment and health, and director, Violence Against Women Prevention Research, Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston; May 1, 2010, presentation, Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

 

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