Related Experiment Videos
Insights
Child abuse can impact growth, but outcomes improve with intervention. Children in long-term foster care show significantly better catch-up growth in height and weight compared to those remaining at home.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Child Development
- Growth Disorders
Background:
- Child abuse is frequently associated with poor growth.
- The long-term growth outcomes for abused children require further definition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the eventual growth outcomes for children who have experienced child abuse.
- To compare catch-up growth patterns based on placement after abuse.
Main Methods:
- A study of 95 children who suffered child abuse.
- Measurement of standard deviation (SD) scores for height and weight at presentation and follow-up.
- Comparison of growth outcomes between children remaining at home, in long-term foster care/adoption, and short-term foster care.
Main Results:
- Children with abuse showed significantly lower height and weight SD scores at presentation, which improved at follow-up.
- Children in long-term foster care or adopted demonstrated significant increases in both height and weight SD scores.
- Catch-up growth for height occurred in 55% of children in long-term foster care versus 11% at home; for weight, it was 50% versus 22%.
Conclusions:
- Children experiencing abuse exhibit greater catch-up growth when placed in long-term foster care.
- Placement decisions for abused children should consider their growth patterns and potential for recovery.
Abstract:
Poor growth in association with child abuse is well recognised, but the eventual outcome with respect to growth has not been clearly defined. In a study of 95 children who had suffered child abuse standard deviation (SD) scores for height and weight were significantly below the mean at presentation and improved at follow up. Sixty four children who remained at home showed significant increase in height SD scores only (p less than 0.01). Twenty children were either taken into long term fostercare or adopted and showed significant increases in height and weight SD scores (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.01, respectively). The remaining 11 children, who were fostered for short periods only, showed little change in either index. Catch up growth for height defined as a change in SD scores of one or more occurred in seven (11%) of the children at home compared with 11 (55%) of those taken into long term fostercare (p less than 0.001). Catch up growth for weight occurred in 14 (22%) of those at home and 10 (50%) of those in long term fostercare (p less than 0.01). Children suffering child abuse show greater catch up growth when taken into long term fostercare. Growth patterns should be used to decided where these children are placed.