90,000 Babies Maltreated in First Year of Life
Study Finds Neglect as Leading Cause of Death in Children
Sep 21, 2009
“An estimated 91,000 babies in the United States were victims of maltreatment in 2006 during their first year of life, including 29,181 infants who suffered abuse or neglect during their first week of life”, says a 2009 Centers for Disease Control report entitled “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.” Most of the cases reported (approximately 87%) involved neglect, not outright physical abuse. About 19% of child-maltreatment deaths occur among babies who are less than 1 year of age.
Neglect is the Leading Cause of Death in Children
Most maltreatment of infants less than a week old was the result of neglect, which is the failure to provide for basic physical and emotional needs or to protect the child from harm. Neglect accounted for 68.5 percent of the reported cases. A smaller number of infants -- 13.2 percent -- were victims of physical abuse by a parent or caregiver that resulted in injury during the first week of life, she said. Researchers suggest that many cases of neglect may be the result of untrained new parents.
Healthcare professionals reported about 65% of the neglected infants to children’s protective service agencies, while family members, friends, neighbors and law enforcement personnel reported the remainder.
Of the 90,000-plus infants described as neglected for study purposes, representing 1 out of every 50 babies born during the study period, only 13% (almost 12,000) of them were identified as physically abused. The study also noted 500 deaths due to neglect or abuse in infants younger than 1 year of age. Most cases of neglect were reported within the first two days of a baby’s life, when blood tests of mother and baby revealed a mother’s drug use during pregnancy. Most cases of maltreatment in the first week were reported by medical personnel, the CDC said. Thirteen percent of those week-old babies had been subjected to physical abuse.
Maltreatment and the Risk for Dangerous Behaviours
Children who suffer maltreatment are at higher risk for engaging in risky behaviors -- such as alcohol and drug abuse -- during adolescence and adulthood, the report stated. These children are also found to have a higher risk of developing chronic conditions, such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease (Centers for Disease Control).
The immediate physical effects of abuse or neglect can be relatively minor (bruises or cuts) or severe (broken bones, hemorrhage, or even death). In some cases the physical effects are temporary; however, the pain and suffering they cause a child should not be discounted.
According to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation ‘s National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being 2004 (NSCAW), more than one-quarter of children who had been in foster care for longer than 12 months had some lasting or recurring health problem.
A child is most likely to reach his/her full potential if she experiences consistent, predictable, enriched, and stimulating interactions in a context of attentive and nurturing relationships. Aided by many relational interactions –perhaps with mother, father, sibling, grandparent, neighbour and more –young children learn to walk, talk, self-regulate, share, and solve problems. When children are mistreated, the consequences can haunt them the rest of their lives.
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