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Child abuse in India, particularly physical abuse of neglected infants, is a severe issue. Unwanted newborns faced extreme neglect and injury, leading to a high mortality rate of nearly 89%.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Child Health
- Forensic Medicine
Background:
- Child abuse and neglect in India are underreported due to social factors like poverty and malnutrition.
- Physical abuse in neglected children presents unique challenges in diagnosis and intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence and characteristics of physical abuse in neglected infants admitted to a pediatric ward.
- To document the types of injuries and outcomes associated with severe neglect in newborns.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective review of pediatric admissions from January 1976 onwards.
- Identification of cases predominantly exhibiting physical abuse and neglect.
Main Results:
- 18 cases of severe physical abuse and neglect in infants were identified over 4.5 years.
- Affected infants were typically neonates, predominantly female, premature, or malnourished, often found abandoned.
- Injuries ranged from strangulation marks and bruises to scalp avulsion, hypothermia, infection, and fractures, with a mortality rate of 88.9%.
Conclusions:
- Unwanted infants are particularly vulnerable to severe physical abuse and neglect in India.
- The high mortality rate underscores the critical need for early detection and intervention strategies for child abuse and neglect.
Abstract:
Child abuse and neglect, though existing in India, has not come to light because of underlying social constraints like poverty, malnutrition and infection. With an intention to study the problem of physical abuse in neglected children, patients admitted to the pediatric wards of our institution, predominantly with some form of physical abuse were specifically looked for from January 1976 onwards. Over a period of 4 1/2 years, 18 such cases were encountered. Most of the babies were less than four weeks of age, were predominantly females, were quite often premature or malnourished, and rarely had a physical deformity. These babies were deserted and later were found by police or social workers in gutters, dustbins, garbage tins, railway platforms, etc. The spectrum of abuse and injuries included newborn babies with intact placenta, at times lacerated, strangling marks on the throat, multiple bruises, bleeding from the umbilicus, avulsion of the scalp with severe bleeding, shock as a result of environmental stress (i.e., hypothermia), evidence of infection, rat bite marks, and fractures. The morbidity was very high, ultimately resulting in 88.9% mortality over varying periods of time, maximum survival being 22 days. The motive behind this abuse always was an unwanted baby.