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Epidemiology of Abusive Head Trauma Among Children in Saudi Arabia
Fahad S Alanazi1, Hassan Saleheen2,3, Majid Al-Eissa1,4,3
1College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences College of Medicine, Riyadh, SAU.
Insights
Abusive head trauma (AHT) cases in Saudi Arabia significantly increased after 2014, primarily affecting infants aged 0-12 months. Raising awareness through education and mandatory reporting laws is crucial.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Child Abuse
- Public Health
Background:
- Abusive head trauma (AHT) is a serious form of child maltreatment.
- Understanding AHT trends is vital for developing effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze abusive head trauma (AHT) trends in Saudi Arabia from 2010-2020.
- To determine the age distribution of young children affected by AHT.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study utilizing data from 58 hospital-based child protection centers (CPCs) across Saudi Arabia.
- Data collected from the National Family Safety Registry (2010-2020).
- Abusive head trauma (AHT) cases identified via daily emergency department logbook reviews.
Main Results:
- A notable increase in AHT cases was observed, rising from 7 cases/year in 2010 to 16 cases/year in 2020, particularly after 2014.
- The majority of AHT victims were infants aged 0-12 months (72.6%), followed by those aged 13-24 months (17.9%).
- Common victim characteristics included being a crying infant (23.6%), a history of abuse (13.2%), chronic illness/disability (7.6%), and prematurity (2.8%).
Conclusions:
- Increased awareness and targeted educational programs are necessary to combat abusive head trauma (AHT).
- Implementing mandatory reporting laws for pediatricians can enhance the detection and reporting of AHT cases.
Background And Objectives:
To examine abusive head trauma (AHT) trends using data obtained from hospital-based child protection centers (CPCs) and the distribution of age in months among young children in Saudi Arabia.
Methods:
A retrospective study was conducted that includes data obtained from 58 hospital-based CPCs in all 13 regions of Saudi Arabia registered in the National Family Safety Registry from 2010 to 2020. AHT cases (n=106) were identified for inclusion in the registry by a daily review of the emergency department logbooks.
Results:
Over the 11-year period, there was a sharp increase in the number of cases, specifically after 2014, from seven cases per year in 2010 to 16 cases in 2020. AHT affects predominantly children aged 0-12 months (72.6%), followed by 13-24 months (17.9%), 25-36 months (3.8%), 37-48 months (3.8%), and 49-60 months (1.9%). Victims were characterized by a predominance of crying infants (23.6%), past history of abuse (13.2%), a child's chronic disease and disability (7.6%), and prematurity (2.8%).
Conclusion:
Different training and educational programs need to be performed to raise awareness of AHT. Enacting the pediatrician's mandatory reporting law will improve the rate of reporting cases.
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