A population-based survey of neonaticides using judicial data.

Area of Science:

• Forensic Medicine
• Public Health
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Neonaticide, defined as infanticide within the first 24 hours of life, presents diagnostic challenges.
• Underestimation in official mortality statistics obscures the true incidence of neonaticide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the underestimation of neonaticide in French mortality data.
• To analyze the mechanisms contributing to this underestimation.
• To identify demographic and psychological characteristics of mothers committing neonaticide.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of court cases involving infant deaths within 24 hours of birth across three French regions (1996-2000).
• Comparison of official cause of death codes (WHO-ICD) with judicial findings.
• Examination of psychiatric assessments of mothers involved in neonaticide cases.

Main Results:

• A substantial underestimation of neonaticide was found: 2.1 cases per 100,000 births in the study versus 0.39 in official statistics.
• Seventeen mothers were identified in 27 analyzed neonaticide cases.
• Mothers were typically young (median age 26), often cohabiting, employed, and did not exhibit severe mental illness but rather immaturity and low self-esteem. Contraception was not used.

Conclusions:

• Neonaticide is significantly underreported, necessitating improved identification and reporting mechanisms.
• Prevention efforts should focus on contraception access and support for vulnerable women.
• Further case-control studies on maternal risk factors are recommended, utilizing existing birth cohort data.