SafetyIssues Personal and Public Safety News Articles: Newborn Babies Also Child Abuse Victims 

Newborn Babies Also Child Abuse Victims
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Staff writer for safetyissues.com on 12/04/10 12:05:00
 
Each year over 3 million children are reported as victims of physical, sexual,
verbal and emotional abuse, neglect, abandonment, and death - and those are only
the ones that were reported! About 100,000 infant victims and, among them,
nearly one-third (30,000) were aged one week or younger when the abuse or
neglect was inflicted.
Child neglect is defined as a failure to provide for the child’s basic needs,
harming them in such ways as inadequate nutrition, clothing, or medical
attention. Child maltreatment includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, and
emotional maltreatment.
Neglect would include abandonment or drug addiction in newborns, but not
mistakes new parents might make about caring for the baby.
Neglect was seen to be the greatest form of abuse (69 percent) among newborns,
while 13 percent were actually physically maltreated. The remaining 18 percent
were subjected to emotional and psychological abuse.
The study on child abuse or neglect covered all confirmed cases reported to
protective services staff in all states (except Alaska, Maryland, North Dakota,
Pennsylvania and Vermont which had no available data), the District of Columbia
and Puerto Rico.
Reports of child abuse or neglect have increased dramatically. Increased
reporting has certainly played a role. This report of higher incidence of
neglect on newborns may also be traced to closer hospital monitoring, including
the drug tests routinely administered on the mother or baby after birth.
Child abuse or neglect can happen in any family. Incidences of child abuse or
neglect are reported more frequently among poor families, possibly due to
increased attention to health and social issues among the poor. Little
monitoring is done on higher income families.
Child abuse or neglect is also closely associated with unplanned pregnancy,
teenage parents, low educational attainment, and substance abuse. There is
greater likelihood of abuse or neglect occurring when the parents or other
caregivers do not know much about child development or have unrealistic
expectations of child behavior.
The likelihood of physical abuse is also higher if the infant or child has
physical or mental disabilities or suffers from chronic medical conditions.
Parents who suffered from abuse when they were children are also more likely to
be abusive.
Safety Tip:
* Make use of prenatal care visits. Most pregnant women routinely visit their
doctors to receive prenatal care. These visits are an opportunity for medical
professionals to educate the prospective parents and to screen for the risk of
abuse.