Child abuse & neglect
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Child abuse & neglect · Jul 2013
Descriptive factors of abusive head trauma in young children--United States, 2000-2009.
Abusive head trauma (AHT) is a leading cause of severe injury in maltreated children in the United States. There is little research from nationally representative datasets available to characterize young children who had AHT compared to non-abusive head trauma (NAHT). ⋯ The results confirm that injuries from AHT are more severe and more often lethal than other head injuries. Socioeconomically disadvantaged families with children <1 year are an important focus for primary prevention. The associations of AHT, compared to NAHT with hospital type and hospital region warrant further investigation. Referral or reporting patterns, or true differences in the incidence may contribute to the identified associations.
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Child abuse & neglect · Jan 2013
Racial and ethnic disparities: a population-based examination of risk factors for involvement with child protective services.
Data from the United States indicate pronounced and persistent racial/ethnic differences in the rates at which children are referred and substantiated as victims of child abuse and neglect. In this study, we examined the extent to which aggregate racial differences are attributable to variations in the distribution of individual and family-level risk factors. ⋯ Race and ethnicity is a marker for a complex interaction of economic, social, political, and environmental factors that influence the health of individuals and communities. This analysis indicates that adjusting for child and family-level risk factors is necessary to distinguish race-specific effects (which may reflect system, worker, or resource biases) from socioeconomic and health indicators associated with maltreatment risk. Identifying the independent effects of these factors is critical to developing effective strategies for reducing racial disparities.
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Child abuse & neglect · Nov 2012
Primary prevention of pediatric abusive head trauma: a cost audit and cost-utility analysis.
To obtain comprehensive, reliable data on the direct cost of pediatric abusive head trauma in New Zealand, and to use this data to evaluate the possible cost-benefit of a national primary prevention program. ⋯ Pediatric abusive head trauma is very expensive, and on a conservative estimate the costs of acute hospitalization represent no more than 4% of lifetime direct costs. If shaken baby prevention programs are effective, there is likely to be a strong economic argument for their implementation. This study also provides robust data for future cost-benefit analysis in the field of abusive head trauma prevention.
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Child abuse & neglect · Oct 2012
ReviewEvidence acquisition and evaluation for a U.S. Government Evidence Summit on Protecting Children Outside Family Care.
Recognizing the need for evidence to inform policies, strategies, and programs to care for vulnerable children, the U. S. Government convened an Evidence Summit on Protecting Children Outside of Family Care on December 12-13, 2011, in Washington, DC, USA. ⋯ Government Evidence Summit originating in the U. S. Agency for International Development Global Health Bureau and valuable lessons were learned on the identification and assessment of evidence informing complex development challenges.