• Shakira F Suglia, Alison L Cammack, Camara Sharperson, Jocelyn Brown, and Silvia S Martins.
• From the Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health.
• Pediatr Emerg Care. 2022 Apr 1; 38 (4): 153156153-156.

ObjectiveTo understand the prevalence of child maltreatment-related emergency department (ED) visits in the United States, we examined data from the 2007 to 2014 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample.MethodsBased on existing literature, International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9 CM) ED discharge codes for children less than 10 years of age were characterized as specified child maltreatment, defined as visits with an explicit maltreatment ICD-9 CM or external causes of injury codes. The prevalence of child maltreatment visits per 100,000 children in the United States (based on Center for Disease Control Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research estimates) overall and by sociodemographic factors was examined, and tests for trends over time were evaluated with Cochran-Armitage tests. Analyses were conducted in 2019.ResultsThe prevalence of child maltreatment based in ICD-9 CM discharge codes ED visits dropped from 69.2 visits per 100,000 in 2007 to 65.9 visits per 100,000 in 2014; this trend was statistically significant. The prevalence was lowest in 2010 (60.1 visits per 100,000 children). There were increases observed for some demographic groups in this period. Throughout the 8-year period examined, the prevalence of child maltreatment visits was highest for physical abuse compared with other forms of maltreatment, higher for boys compared with girls; highest for children younger than 1 year, and higher for children living in neighborhoods with the lowest median income compared with children in higher-income neighborhoods.ConclusionsThe Nationwide Emergency Department Sample data set is a valuable surveillance tool for examining trends in child maltreatment. Future studies should explore what factors may explain variations in child maltreatment over time to best develop prevention strategies.Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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