The Incidence of Child Maltreatment Resulting in Hospitalizations for Children Under Age 3 Years

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Child maltreatment is a significant public health concern with serious consequences for young children.
• Population-based surveillance is crucial for understanding the scope and trends of child maltreatment.
• Hospitalization data offers a valuable, albeit potentially underestimated, source for monitoring child maltreatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of child maltreatment-related hospitalizations among children under three years old in Washington State.
• To analyze trends and characteristics of these hospitalizations, including subtypes and demographic factors.

Main Methods:

• A population-based retrospective study utilizing linked administrative data from Washington State.
• Inclusion of all children born between 2000 and 2013 (n=1,191,802).
• Identification of child maltreatment-related hospitalizations using specific and suggestive diagnostic codes.

Main Results:

• A total of 3,885 child maltreatment-related hospitalizations were identified, with an overall incidence of 10.87 per 10,000 person-years.
• These hospitalizations represented 2.1% of all hospitalizations for children under three, doubling over the study period.
• Neglect was the most common subtype (over 50%), occurring most frequently between ages 1-2 years; males had higher incidence rates than females.

Conclusions:

• Hospitalization data serves as a viable tool for population-based child maltreatment surveillance.
• The high incidence of neglect-related hospitalizations underscores the need for focused prevention strategies, particularly concerning supervisory neglect.
• Findings provide critical data for public health interventions and policy development aimed at protecting young children.