Network analysis of the relationship between non-suicidal self-injury, depression, and childhood trauma in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Non-suicidal self-injury seriously harm the physical and mental health of adolescents. The aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between non-suicide self-injury, depression, and childhood trauma from the perspective of symptoms in adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in four junior high middle schools and collected 2640 valid questionnaires. There were 1329 male students and 1311 female students. The age of the participants ranged from 11 to 17 years old, with a mean age of 13.3 (± 0.94) years. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), depressive symptoms, and childhood trauma were assessed using the Adolescent Self-Harm Scale, the Childhood Depression Scale, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, respectively. A network analysis was performed. RESULTS: In the network, NSSI, depressive symptoms, and childhood trauma were closely related. Negative self-esteem in the depressive symptoms and emotional abuse in childhood were the most central nodes. Negative self-esteem and negative mood were directly connected to NSSI, other nodes of depressive symptoms appeared to be indirectly connected to NSSI through these two nodes. Emotional abuse was the only node in childhood trauma categories directly connected to NSSI. Nodes of other categories of childhood trauma (physical neglect, physical abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse) were indirectly connected to NSSI through emotional abuse. CONCLUSIONS: NSSI, depression, and childhood trauma of teenagers were closely related. Individuals who have suffered emotional abuse in childhood were more likely to have depressive symptoms and NSSI. Improving negative self-esteem and negative emotions and reducing emotional abuse may be beneficial in alleviating depression and reducing NSSI in adolescents.

The burden of prenatal and early life maternal substance use among children at risk of maltreatment: A systematic review.

ISSUES: Although maternal substance use is a known risk factor for child maltreatment, evidence on the scale of substance use is needed to inform prevention responses. This systematic review synthesised prevalence estimates of maternal substance use during pregnancy and early life among children at risk of maltreatment. Ovid, Pubmed, CINAHL, PsychInfo and ProQuest databases were searched. We included observational studies that sampled children at risk of maltreatment in high-income countries and reported information on maternal substance use during pregnancy and/or the child's first year of life. We extracted study characteristics and data to calculate prevalence, assessed risk of bias and conducted a narrative synthesis; there were insufficient comparable populations or outcomes to quantitatively synthesise results. KEY FINDINGS: Thirty five of 14,084 titles were included. Fifteen studies had adequately sized and representative samples to estimate prevalence. Maternal substance use prevalence ranged from 2.4% to 40.6%. Maternal substance use was highest among infants referred to child protection at birth (40.6%) and children in out-of-home care (10.4% to 37.2%). Prevalence was higher when studies defined substance use more broadly and when maternal substance use was ascertained from both child and mother records. IMPLICATIONS: Supportive, coordinated responses to maternal substance use are needed from health and child protection services, spanning alcohol and other drug treatment, antenatal and postnatal care. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal and early life maternal substance use is common among child maltreatment populations, particularly among younger children and those with more serious maltreatment.

Primary Care Interventions to Prevent Child Maltreatment: Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Importance: Child maltreatment is associated with serious negative physical, psychological, and behavioral consequences. Objective: To review the evidence on primary care-feasible or referable interventions to prevent child maltreatment to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force. Data Sources: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and trial registries through February 2, 2023; references, experts, and surveillance through December 6, 2023. Study Selection: English-language, randomized clinical trials of youth through age 18 years (or their caregivers) with no known exposure or signs or symptoms of current or past maltreatment. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Two reviewers assessed titles/abstracts, full-text articles, and study quality, and extracted data; when at least 3 similar studies were available, meta-analyses were conducted. Main Outcomes and Measures: Directly measured reports of child abuse or neglect (reports to Child Protective Services or removal of the child from the home); proxy measures of abuse or neglect (injury, visits to the emergency department, hospitalization); behavioral, developmental, emotional, mental, or physical health and well-being; mortality; harms. Results: Twenty-five trials (N = 14 355 participants) were included; 23 included home visits. Evidence from 11 studies (5311 participants) indicated no differences in likelihood of reports to Child Protective Services within 1 year of intervention completion (pooled odds ratio, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.84-1.27]). Five studies (3336 participants) found no differences in removal of the child from the home within 1 to 3 years of follow-up (pooled risk ratio, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.37-2.99]). The evidence suggested no benefit for emergency department visits in the short term (<2 years) and hospitalizations. The evidence was inconclusive for all other outcomes because of the limited number of trials on each outcome and imprecise results. Among 2 trials reporting harms, neither reported statistically significant differences. Contextual evidence indicated (1) widely varying practices when screening, identifying, and reporting child maltreatment to Child Protective Services, including variations by race or ethnicity; (2) widely varying accuracy of screening instruments; and (3) evidence that child maltreatment interventions may be associated with improvements in some social determinants of health. Conclusion and Relevance: The evidence base on interventions feasible in or referable from primary care settings to prevent child maltreatment suggested no benefit or insufficient evidence for direct or proxy measures of child maltreatment. Little information was available about possible harms. Contextual evidence pointed to the potential for bias or inaccuracy in screening, identification, and reporting of child maltreatment but also highlighted the importance of addressing social determinants when intervening to prevent child maltreatment.

Early Childhood Care in the Former East Germany and Mental Stress in Adulthood.

BACKGROUND: It is still debated in Germany whether early childhood care outside the family might cause mental stress in adulthood. In the German Democratic Republic (GDR-the former East Germany before unification), children were often cared for outside the family from a very early age. METHODS: To determine the relation between early childhood care outside the family and mental stress in adulthood, we carried out a survey among 1575 persons who were born and socialized in the GDR. They were classified into four care groups according to the age at which they were first cared for outside the family. Associations with depressiveness, somatization disorders, and anxiety disorders in adulthood were tested with logistic regression analysis. Care group-specific prevalences of experiences of abuse and neglect in childhood were estimated with analysis of variance. RESULTS: Comparisons of persons cared for outside the family before the age of three, or from the age of three onward, with persons cared for within the family in their preschool years did not reveal any difference with respect to depressiveness (odds ratio [OR] = 0.95; 95% confidence interval [0.58; 1.55]; OR = 1.05 [0.63; 1.74]), somatization disorders (OR = 1.11 [0.74; 1.67]; OR = 1.09 [0.71; 1.66]), or anxiety disorders (OR = 0.87 [0.46; 1.64]; OR = 1.12 [0.59; 2.10]). Nor were there any intergroup differences with respect to experiences of abuse and neglect. Certain features of the very small group of children who had long-term care outside the family are discussed in the article. CONCLUSION: No relation was found between earlychildhood care in day-care centers in the GDR and mental stress in adulthood. The data were too sparse for any conclusions about specific aspects of care outside the home (e.g., quality or child-rearing norms).

Public Benefit Programs and Differential Associations With Child Maltreatment by Race and Ethnicity.

Importance: Public benefit programs, including state spending on local, state, and federal-state partnership programs, have consistently been associated with overall reductions in child protective services (CPS) involvement. Inequities in eligibility and access to benefit programs may contribute to varying associations by race and ethnicity. Objective: To determine whether associations between state spending on benefit programs and rates of CPS investigations differ by race and ethnicity. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional ecological study used repeated state-level measures of child maltreatment from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System and population estimates from the US Census Bureau for all Black, Hispanic, and White children. All 50 US states from October 1, 2009, through September 30, 2019 (fiscal years 2010-2019), were included. Data were collected and analyzed from May 13, 2022, to March 2, 2023. Exposures: Annual state spending on benefit programs per person living below the federal poverty limit, total and by the following subcategories: (1) cash, housing, and in-kind; (2) housing infrastructure; (3) child care assistance; (4) refundable earned income tax credit; and (5) medical assistance programs. Main Outcomes and Measures: Race- and ethnicity-specific rates of CPS investigations. Generalized estimating equations, with repeated measures of states, an interaction between race and spending, and estimated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% CIs for incremental changes in spending of US $1000 per person living below the federal poverty limit were calculated after adjustment for federal spending, race- and ethnicity-specific child poverty rate, and year. Results: A total of 493 state-year observations were included in the analysis. The association between total spending and CPS investigations differed significantly by race and ethnicity: there was an inverse association between total state spending and CPS investigations for White children (IRR, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.91-0.98]) but not for Black children (IRR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.94-1.02]) or Hispanic children (IRR, 0.99 [95% CI, 0.95-1.03]) (P = .02 for interaction). Likewise, inverse associations were present for only White children with respect to all subcategories of state spending and differed significantly from Black and Hispanic children for all subcategories except the refundable earned income tax credit (eg, IRR for medical assistance programs for White children, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.82-0.96]; P = .005 for race and spending interaction term). Conclusions and Relevance: These results raise concerns that benefit programs may add relative advantages for White children compared with Black and Hispanic children and contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in CPS investigations. States' eligibility criteria and distribution practices should be examined to promote equitable effects on adverse child outcomes.

Has the relationship between community poverty and child maltreatment report rates become stronger or weaker over time?

BACKGROUND: Poverty is among the most powerful predictors of child maltreatment risk and reporting. To date, however, there have been no studies assessing the stability of this relationship over time. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the county-level relationship between child poverty rates and child maltreatment report (CMR) rates changed over time in the United States in 2009-2018, overall and across of child age, sex, race/ethnicity, and maltreatment type. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: U.S. Counties in 2009-2018. METHODS: Linear multilevel models estimated this relationship and its longitudinal change, while controlling for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: We found that the county-level relationship between child poverty rates and CMR rates had intensified almost linearly from 2009 to 2018. Per one-percentage-point increase in child poverty rates, CMR rates significantly increased by 1.26 per 1000 children in 2009 and by 1.74 per 1000 children in 2018, indicating an almost 40 % increase in the poverty-CMR relationship. This increasing trend was also found within all subgroups of child age and sex. This trend was found among White and Black children, but not among Latino children. This trend was strong among neglect reports, weaker among physical abuse reports, and not found among sexual abuse reports. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the continued, perhaps increasing importance of poverty as a predictor of CMR. To the degree that our findings can be replicated, they could be interpreted as supporting an increased emphasis on reducing child maltreatment incidents and reports through poverty amelioration efforts and the provision of material family supports.

School connectedness and psychological resilience as mediators in the relationship between childhood abuse and suicidal ideation among Chinese adolescents.

Background: Suicide among adolescents is a huge public health concern around the world. Although childhood abuse has been established as a substantial risk factor for suicide behaviours, potential mediators in this relationship remain unclear.Objective: This study aimed to examine the mediating roles of school connectedness and psychological resilience in the association between childhood abuse and suicidal ideation among Chinese high school students.Methods: The sample involved 1607 adolescents from four high schools in Central China. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted to investigate the mediation effects of school connectedness and psychological resilience on the relationship between childhood abuse and suicidal ideation.Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation during the past week was 21.9%. Childhood abuse was positively related to the development of suicidal ideation directly and indirectly through school connectedness and psychological resilience. School connectedness and psychological resilience were also partial mediators of all three types of childhood abuse (emotional abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse) when the types were examined separately.Conclusions: Suicidal ideation was widespread among Chinese high school students. Psychological resilience and school connectedness could attenuate the detrimental impact of childhood abuse on suicidal ideation. Findings underscore the improvement of psychological resilience and the connection to the school would be beneficial to suicide prevention among Chinese adolescents with childhood abuse.

Adolescent suicide is a major public health concern worldwide.Childhood abuse exerts a negative effect on suicide behaviours.School connectedness and psychological resilience mediated the relationship between childhood abuse and suicidal ideation.

Child Abuse and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Chinese Migrant Adolescents: The Moderating Roles of Beliefs About Adversity and Family Socioeconomic Status.

Although research has indicated the association between child abuse and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), few studies have examined their relationship in a particular sample of Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents who tend to experience parental abuse and engage in NSSI. More importantly, factors moderating the relationship between child abuse and migrant adolescents' NSSI have been understudied. To address this issue, this study aimed to examine whether beliefs about adversity and family socioeconomic status (SES) moderated the longitudinal relationship between child abuse and NSSI in a sample of Chinese migrant adolescents. 308 Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents (aged 10-14; 138 boys) completed the two-wave survey. Self-reported questionnaires regarding child abuse, NSSI, beliefs about adversity, and family SES were used. Results showed that child abuse was significantly positively related to NSSI a year later. Moreover, the interaction of child abuse, beliefs about adversity, and family SES was significant. Specifically, for migrant adolescents with low SES, positive beliefs about adversity played a protective role in the association between child abuse and NSSI; while for those with high SES, such beliefs showed vulnerability. Findings underscore the importance of considering multiple resilient factors simultaneously by examining beliefs about adversity and SES as the moderating mechanisms in the association between child abuse and NSSI. Findings also emphasize the significance of developing differential interventions targeting NSSI in abused Chinese migrant adolescents. Positive beliefs about adversity are important in buffering the negative effect of child abuse for migrant adolescents with low SES. For those with high SES, special attention should be given to the interactive impact of child abuse, beliefs about adversity, and family SES.

Differences between violence against children and adolescents in Maranhão, Brazil, 2009-2019 / Diferenças entre violências contra crianças e adolescentes no Maranhão, Brasil, 2009-2019

Abstract Objectives: to analyze differences between violence against children and adolescents according to characteristics of cases, probable perpetrators, occurrences and typologies and compare their temporal and spatial distributions. Methods: data were collected from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), Maranhão, from 2009-2019. Results: 4,457 notifications of violence against children and 5,826 against adolescents were analyzed. In the 11 years investigated, violence against children was more frequent in 2015 and 2016 and in five of the 19 Maranhão Health Regions. Violence against males was more frequent in childhood and against females prevailed mostly in adolescence (p<0.001). While mothers (p<0.001), fathers (p=0.029) and caregivers (p<0.001) were most frequently accused of violence against children, friends/ acquaintances (p<0.001), spouses/boyfriends/girlfriends (p<0.001) and strangers (p<0.001) mainly assaulted adolescents. Violence motivated by sexism (p=0.006), generational conflict (p<0.001), street situation (p=0.002) and disability (p=0.035) were more frequent in adolescence. Physical (p<0.001), sexual (p<0.001) and psychological/moral (p<0.001) violence, torture (p<0.001) and self-aggression (p<0.001) were most commonly reported in adolescence and neglect/abandonment predominated was mostly reported against children (p<0.001). Conclusions: violence against children and adolescents residing in the state of Maranhão and notified in SINAN were distinct phenomena in relation to the characteristics of cases, probable authors, occurrences, and typologies.

Resumo Objetivos: analisar diferenças entre violências praticadas contra crianças e adolescentes segundo características de casos, prováveis autores, ocorrências e tipologias e comparar suas distribuições temporais e espaciais. Métodos: os dados foram coletados do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN), Maranhão, de 2009-2019. Resultados: foram analisadas 4.457 notificações de violências contra crianças e 5.826 contra adolescentes. Nos 11 anos investigados, violências contra crianças predominaram em 2015 e 2016 e em cinco de 19 Regiões de Saúde maranhenses. Violências contra casos do sexo masculino foram mais frequentes na infância e contra pessoas do sexo feminino prevaleceram na adolescência (p<0,001). Enquanto mães (p<0,001), pais (p=0,029) e cuidadores (p<0,001) foram mais acusados de violência contra crianças, amigos/conhecidos (p<0,001), cônjuges/namorados(as) (p<0,001) e desconhecidos (p<0,001) teriam agredido principalmente adolescentes. Violências motivadas por sexismo (p=0,006), conflito geracional (p<0,001), situação de rua (p=0,002) e deficiência (p=0,035) foram mais frequentes na adolescência. Violências física (p<0,001), sexual (p<0,001) e psicológica/moral (p<0,001), tortura (p<0,001) e autoagressões (p<0,001) foram mais notificadas na adolescência e negligência/abandono predominou contra crianças (p<0,001). Conclusões: violências contra crianças e adolescentes estudadas se mostraram como fenômenos distintos em relação a características de casos, prováveis autores, ocorrências e tipologias sugerindo a necessidade de considerar suas especificidades nos planejamentos e avaliações de programas e projetos de enfrentamentos.

Prevalência e fatores associados à negligência contra crianças em um estado brasileiro / Prevalencia y factores asociados a la negligencia contra niños en un estado brasileño / Prevalence and factors associated child neglect in a Brazilian state

RESUMO Objetivo Quantificar a prevalência da negligência contra a criança e identificar seus fatores associados, a partir dos casos notificados no estado do Espírito Santo no período entre 2011 e 2018. Métodos Estudo transversal com dados notificados no Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN) com todos os casos notificados de negligência contra a criança no período de 2011 a 2018 no Espírito Santo, Brasil. Foram estudadas as características da vítima, do autor e da agressão e as associações foram analisadas por meio da Regressão de Poisson. Resultados A frequência de negligência foi 31,3%, sendo mais prevalente no sexo masculino (RP: 1,48; IC95%: 1,34-1,63); na faixa etária de 0 a 2 anos (RP: 3,05; IC95%: 2,65-3,51); entre agressores do sexo feminino (RP: 16,20; IC95%: 9,98-26,32), e, em relação ao vínculo nota-se a maior prevalência de pais/padrastos (RP: 6,69; IC95%: 4,16-10,74), ambos os pais (RP: 4,41; IC95%: 2,84-6,85) e mães/madrastas (RP: 2,94; IC95%: 2,20-3,93). Conclusões e Implicações para a prática A magnitude de negligência contra crianças no Espírito Santo foi expressiva, demonstrando a necessidade de avançar no entendimento deste fenômeno e na implementação de políticas públicas intersetoriais ampliadas que visem garantir condições adequadas para o crescimento e desenvolvimento na infância.

RESUMEN Objetivo Cuantificar la prevalencia del abandono infantil e identificar sus factores asociados, a partir de los casos notificados en el estado de Espírito Santo entre 2011 y 2018. Métodos Estudio transversal con datos notificados en el Sistema de Información de Enfermedades de Declaración Notificable (SINAN) con todos los casos reportados de negligencia infantil entre 2011 y 2018 en Espírito Santo, Brasil. Se estudiaron las características de la víctima, del agresor y de la agresión y se analizaron las asociaciones mediante Regresión de Poisson. Resultados La frecuencia de abandono fue del 31,3%, siendo más prevalente en el sexo masculine (RP: 1,48; IC95%: 1,34-1,63); en el grupo de edad de 0 a 2 años (RP: 3,05; IC95%: 2,65-3,51); entre las mujeres agresoras (RP: 16,20; IC95%: 9,98-26,32), y en relación al vínculo hay mayor prevalencia de padres/padrastros (RP: 6,69; IC95%: 4,16-10,74), ambos padres (RP: 4,41; IC95%: 2,84-6,85) y madres/madrastras (RP: 2,94; IC95%: 2,20-3,93). Conclusiones e Implicaciones para la práctica La magnitud del abandono de los niños fue expresiva, demostrando la necesidad de avanzar en la comprensión de este fenómeno y en la implementación de políticas públicas intersectoriales ampliadas que tengam como objetivo garantizar condiciones adecuadas para el crecimiento y desarrollo en la infancia.

ABSTRACT Objective To quantify the prevalence of neglect against the child and identify its associated factors, based on the cases reported in the state of Espírito Santo between 2011 and 2018. Methods Cross-sectional study with data reported in the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) with all reported cases of child neglect from 2011 to 2018 in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The characteristics of the victim, author, and aggression were studied, and the associations were analyzed by Poisson regression. Results The frequency of neglect was 31.3%, being more prevalent in males (PR: 1.48; 95%CI: 1.34-1.63); for the age group of zero to two years (PR: 3.05; 95%CI: 2.65-3.51); among female aggressors (PR: 16.20; 95%CI: 9.98-26.32), and regarding the bond to the victim, we note the highest prevalence of parents/stepfathers (PR: 6.69; 95%CI: 4.16-10.74), both parents (PR: 4.41; 95%CI: 2.84-6.85) and mothers/stepmothers (PR: 2.94; 95%CI: 2.20-3.93). Conclusions and Implications for the practice The magnitude of child neglect in Espírito Santo was significant, showing the need to advance in the understanding of this phenomenon and in the implementation of expanded intersectoral public policies aimed at ensuring adequate conditions for growth and development in childhood.

Violence in the Great Recession.

Substantial evidence suggests that economic hardship causes violence. However, a large majority of this research relies on observational studies that use traditional violence surveillance systems that suffer from selection bias and over-represent vulnerable populations, such as people of color. To overcome limitations of prior work, we employed a quasi-experimental design to assess the impact of the Great Recession on explicit violence diagnoses (injuries identified to be caused by a violent event) and proxy violence diagnoses (injuries highly correlated with violence) for child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, elder abuse, and their combination. We used Minnesota hospital data (2004-2014), conducting a difference-in-differences analysis at the county level (n = 86) using linear regression to compare changes in violence rates from before the recession (2004-2007) to after the recession (2008-2014) in counties most affected by the recession, versus changes over the same time period in counties less affected by the recession. The findings suggested that the Great Recession had little or no impact on explicitly identified violence; however, it affected proxy-identified violence. Counties that were more highly affected by the Great Recession saw a greater increase in the average rate of proxy-identified child abuse, elder abuse, intimate partner violence, and combined violence when compared with less-affected counties.

Associations between posttraumatic stress symptoms and abuse experiences in child and adolescent girls from a Central African country.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is frequently reported among survivors of abuse. However, there is a paucity of research examining the association between PTSD and abuse, including polyvictimization, in nonconflict areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of PTSD among girls in nonconflict zones who experienced at least one type of abuse. Participants in this cross-sectional study were 3,011 middle-school girls, aged 11-18 years, who attended randomly selected schools and completed questionnaires. The probable PTSD prevalence was 67.5%. The rate of probable PTSD increased with the number of experienced abuse types over a 12-month period. The findings demonstrated associations between probable PTSD and exposure to five (86.9%), four (63.9%), and three types of abuse (60.1%). The strongest association was observed between probable PTSD and experiencing five types of abuse, OR = 26.806, 95% CI [19.303, 37.225]; associations were also found between PTSD and abuse with a weapon, OR = 4.341, 95% CI [3.519, 5.354]; rape with penetration, OR = 4.728, 95% CI [3.447, 6.484]; and experiencing three, OR = 6.625, 95% CI [4.325, 10.148], or four types of abuse, OR = 7.114, 95% CI [5.025,10.070]. The findings of this study underscore the importance of the need for psychological and physical health care for girls who have been exposed to abuse, regardless of the number of abuse experiences or abuse types she has experienced.

Frequency of malnutrition in children and adolescents with child maltreatment / Frecuencias de mala nutrición en niños y adolescentes con maltrato infantil

Introduction: child maltreatment (CM) can have a negative impact on physical and mental health in childhood and throughout life. Objective: to determine the frequency of malnutrition in cases of CM from the Clínica de Atención Integral al Niño Maltratado (CAINM) of the Instituto Nacional de Pediatría (INP), Mexico. Material and methods: this was a cross-sectional, retrospective, descriptive study of children with CM. Height/age, weight/height, and body mass index/age were used to determine malnutrition status (undernutrition and overweight or obesity). The frequency of malnutrition by age group and sex were compared using χ2 tests. The prevalence of malnutrition at CAINM was compared to that expected in Mexico (ENSANUT-2012), serving as a reference for children without CM, using one-sample Poisson tests. Results: of the 117 cases, 41 % presented wasting or overweight/obesity, and 25 % were growth-stunted. Neither wasting nor stunting displayed any difference between age groups (p > 0.05). Overweight/obesity was observed more frequently in adolescents than in schoolchildren (p < 0.05). Being overweight or obese was most frequently associated with sexual abuse, and wasting and stunting were most often associated with neglect. Compared to the population without CM, the group under 5 years of age had a higher prevalence of wasting (p < 0.01), and those aged 5 to 11 years had a higher prevalence of both wasting and stunting (p < 0.001). Conclusions: CM cases were characterized by acute undernutrition and stunting as well as by adolescents who were overweight or obese. Malnutrition in the pediatric population should be analyzed from a wider perspective, including possible CM (AU)

Introducción: el maltrato infantil (MI) puede afectar la salud física y mental en la niñez y a largo plazo. Objetivo: determinar las frecuencias de mala nutrición en casos de MI de la Clínica de Atención Integral al Niño Maltratado (CAINM), perteneciente al Instituto Nacional de Pediatría de México. Métodos: estudio transversal, retrospectivo y descriptivo. Se utilizaron los cocientes de peso/talla, talla/edad e IMC/edad. Las frecuencias de mala nutrición (desnutrición y sobrepeso/obesidad) se compararon entre los grupos de edad y sexo a través de la prueba del χ2. Utilizando pruebas de Poisson para una sola muestra se compararon las prevalencias de la mala nutrición con las esperadas en México (ENSANUT-2012). Resultados: de los 117 casos de MI, el 41 % presentaban emaciación o sobrepeso/obesidad, y el 25 % talla baja. Ni por emaciación ni por talla baja hubo diferencias entre los grupos de edad (p > 0,05). La frecuencia del sobrepeso/obesidad fue mayor en los adolescentes que en los escolares (p < 0,05). En el grupo de abuso sexual destacó el sobrepeso/obesidad; en el de negligencia, la emaciación y la talla baja. En comparación con las prevalencias de los niños sin MI, los niños < 5 años tuvieron prevalencias más altas de emaciación (p < 0,01); los de 5 a 11 años, de emaciación y talla baja (para ambas, p < 0,001). Conclusiones: los niños con MI se caracterizaron por desnutrición y talla baja, así como también por sobrepeso/obesidad en los adolescentes. La mala nutrición en las poblaciones pediátricas debe analizarse desde una perspectiva amplia, incluido el posible maltrato infantil (AU)

Violence against girls during COVID-19 pandemic and associated factors in Gondar city, North West Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia, the magnitude of violence against girls during COVID-19 in the study area is not known. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the violence and associated factors during COVID-19 pandemic among Gondar city secondary school girls in North West Ethiopia. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to February 2021. Data were collected from four public and two private Gondar city secondary schools. Investigators used stratified simple random sampling to select participants and the investigators used roster of the students at selected schools. Investigators collected the data using self-reported history of experiencing violence (victimisation). Investigators analysed data using descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression. Investigators invited a total of 371 sampled female students to complete self-administered questionnaires. The proportion of girls who experienced violence was 42.05% and psychological violence was the highest form of violence. Having a father who attended informal education (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI 1.08-3.51), ever use of social media 1.65 (AOR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.02-2.69), ever watching sexually explicit material (AOR = 2.04, 95% CI 1.24-3.36) and use of a substance (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI 1.17-3.15) were significantly associated variables with violence. Almost for every five girls, more than two of them experienced violence during the COVID-19 lockdown. The prevalence of violence might be under reported due to desirability bias. Therefore, it is better to create awareness towards violence among substance users, fathers with informal education and social media including user females.

Ocular Injuries in Pediatric Patients Admitted With Abusive Head Trauma.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric abusive head trauma (AHT) refers to head injury from intentional blunt force or violent shaking in children aged five years or less. We sought to evaluate the epidemiology of ocular injuries in AHT. METHODS: This retrospective analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank (2008 to 2014) identified children aged five years or less with AHT and ocular injuries using ICD-9-CM codes. Demographic data, types of ocular and nonocular/head injuries, geographic location, length of hospital admission, injury severity, and Glasgow Coma scores were tabulated and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 10,545 children were admitted with AHT, and 2550 (24.2%) had associated ocular injuries; 58.7% were female. The mean age was 0.5 (±1.0) years. Most (85.7%) were aged one year or less. Common ocular injuries included contusion of eye/adnexa (73.7%) and retinal edema (59.3%), and common head injuries were subdural hemorrhage (SDH) (72.8%) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (22.9%). Retinal hemorrhages occurred in 5.3%. About 42.8% of children had injury severity scores greater than 24 (very severe), and the mortality rate was 19.2%. Children aged one year or less had the greatest odds of retinal hemorrhages (odds ratio [OR] = 2.44; P = 0.008) and SDH (OR = 1.55; P < 0.001), and the two- to three-year-old group had the greatest odds of contusions (OR = 1.68; P = 0.001), intracerebral hemorrhages (OR = 1.55; P = 0.002), and mortality (OR = 1.78; P < 0.001). For all ages, SDH occurred most frequently with retinal edema compared with other ocular injuries (OR = 2.25; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Ocular injuries varied with age and were variably associated with nonocular injury. The youngest group was most frequently affected; however, the two- to three-year-old group was most likely to succumb to injuries.

External Hydrocephalus as a Cause of Infant Subdural Hematoma: Epidemiological and Radiological Investigations of Infants Suspected of Being Abused.

BACKGROUND: Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) and chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) in infants have been regarded as highly specific for abuse. Other causes of CSDH have not been investigated in a large population. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent external hydrocephalus is present in infants with ASDH and CSDH undergoing evaluation for abuse. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty-five infants suspected of being abused, with ASDH (n = 16) or CSDH (n = 69), were reviewed regarding age, risk factor profiles, craniocortical width (CCW), sinocortical width (SCW), frontal interhemispheric width (IHW), subarachnoid space width (SSW), and head circumference (HC). In infants with unilateral subdural hematoma (SDH), correlations between contralateral SSW and ipsilateral CCW and SDH width were investigated. RESULTS: Infants with CSDH had significantly lower mortality, were more often premature and male, and had significantly higher CCW, SCW, IHW, and SSW than infants with ASDH (P < 0.05). Ipsilateral CCW (R = 0.92, P < 0.001) and SDH width (R = 0.81, P < 0.01) correlated with contralateral SSW. Increased HC was more prevalent in infants with CSDH (71%) than in infants with ASDH (14%) (P < 0.01). Forty-two infants, all with CSDH, had at least one of CCW, SCW, or IHW ≥95th percentile. Twenty infants, all with CSDH, had CCW, SCW, and IHW >5 mm, in addition to increased HC. CONCLUSION: A substantial proportion of infants with CSDH who had been suspected of being abused had findings suggesting external hydrocephalus.

Higher Levels of Harsh Parenting During the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Netherlands.

Previous studies on the impact of COVID-19 indicate that pandemic-related distress increases risks for child maltreatment, although data on the scope of this problem are still scarce. Here, we assessed whether parents with toddlers (n = 206) more often used harsh discipline during the lockdown in the Netherlands compared to a matched parent sample collected prior to the pandemic (n = 1,030). Parents were matched on background characteristics using propensity score matching. We found that harsh parenting levels were significantly elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels. Harsh parenting behaviors with a low prevalence before COVID-19 increased most strongly: shaking, calling names, and calling the child stupid. These results suggest that parental tolerance for children's disobedience is lower under the adverse circumstances of COVID-19 and, as a result, abusive parenting responses are more difficult to inhibit. Thus, a lockdown seems to increase risks for child maltreatment, underscoring the need for effective support strategies for at-risk families.

Epidemiología de los niños, niñas y adolescentes derivados a un equipo de referencia en violencia basado en género y generaciones durante la pandemia por el COVID-19: diferencias con el año 2016: CASMU-IAMPP / Epidemiology of children and adolescents referred to a gender violence reference team during the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to 2016: CASMU-IAMPP / Epidemiologia de crianças e adolescentes referidos a uma equipe de referência em violência baseada em gênero durante a pandemia do COVID-19: diferenças com o ano de 2016: CASMU-IAMPP

El maltrato y el abuso sexual infantil constituyen una violación de los derechos humanos y un importante problema de salud mundial. La situación ya era grave y compleja previamente. El aislamiento social por el COVID-19 la volvió una crisis. En marzo de 2020 se tomaron medidas preventivas para mitigar los efectos de la enfermedad. El confinamiento fue una de ellas. El maltrato infantil durante 2020 ascendió de 20% a 32%. Objetivo: conocer las características epidemiológicas de los niños, niñas y adolescentes víctimas de situaciones de maltrato y de probable abuso sexual infantil, asistidos en el Equipo de Referencia en Violencia Basado en Género y Generaciones de una institución, entre el 1 abril de 2020 al 31 julio de 2020, en comparación con el mismo período en 2016. Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo, con los usuarios menores de 18 años derivados a dicho equipo. El total de consultas fue 28 en 2016, y 17 en 2020. Los motivos de consulta en 2016 fueron: 24,5% abuso sexual, 3,5% negligencia y 72% maltrato emocional en el contexto de violencia doméstica. En 2020 fueron 41%, 6% y 53%, respectivamente. En 2016 82% de los casos fueron derivados por el sector de salud, de ellos 36% por el pediatra tratante. En 2020 fueron 76% y 46%, respectivamente. A pesar de existir a nivel internacional múltiples reportes y publicaciones que apuntan a un estado de emergencia infantil por la pandemia del COVID-19, esto no se vio reflejado.

Summary: Child and sexual abuse involve a breach of human rights and a major global health problem. The situation was already serious and complex before the Covid 19 Pandemic, but it has turned it into a crisis. In March 2020, preventive measures were taken to mitigate the effects of the disease, the lockdown was one of them. Child abuse rose from 20% to 32% in 2020. Objective: learn about the epidemiological characteristics of children and adolescent victims of abuse and probable sexual abuse, assisted by the Gender Based Violence Reference Team at one institution, between April 1, 2020 and 31 July 2020, compared to the same period in 2016. An observational, descriptive study was carried out with users under 18 years of age referred to team mentioned above. The total number of consultations was 28 in 2016, and 17 in 2020. The reasons for consultation in 2016 were: 24.5% sexual abuse, 3.5% neglect and 72% emotional abuse within the framework of domestic violence. In 2020 they were 41%, 6% and 53%, respectively. In 2016, 82% of the cases were referred by the health sector, 36% of them by the treating pediatrician. In 2020 76% and 46%, respectively. Despite the multiple global reports and publications that suggest a state of emergency for the case of children and adolescents due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this was not reflected in our figures.

O abuso infantil e o abuso sexual constituem uma violação dos direitos humanos e um grande problema de saúde global. A situação já era grave e complexa antes da pandemia do Covid-19 e o isolamento social transformou ela em uma crise. Em março de 2020, foram tomadas medidas preventivas para mitigar os efeitos da doença. O confinamento foi um deles. O abuso infantil em 2020 aumentou de 20% para 32%. Objetivo: conhecer as características epidemiológicas de crianças e adolescentes vítimas de abuso e provável abuso sexual infantil, atendidos pela Equipe de Referência em Violência Baseada no Gênero numa instituição de saúde entre 1º de abril de 2020 a 31 de julho de 2020, em comparação para o mesmo período de 2016. Foi realizado um estudo observacional, descritivo com usuários menores de 18 anos de idade que tinham sido encaminhados à referida equipe. O número total de consultas foi de 28 em 2016 e 17 em 2020. Os motivos de consulta em 2016 foram: 24,5% abuso sexual, 3,5% negligência e 72% abuso emocional em contexto de violência doméstica. Em 2020 foram 41%, 6% e 53%, respectivamente. Em 2016, 82% dos casos foram referudis pelo setor de saúde, 36% deles pelo pediatra responsável. Em 2020 foram 76% e 46%, respectivamente. Apesar da existência de vários papers e publicações a nível gobal que sugerem um estado de emergência para as crianças devido à pandemia de Covid-19, isso não se refletiu nos nossos dados.