Research news: Neglect or abuse seen in 1 in 50 babies in U.S.

The News:
Neglect or abuse seen in 1 in 50 babies in U.S.
By Mike Stobbe The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 04/04/2008 06:49:35 AM MDT
ATLANTA — About 1 in 50 infants in the U.S. have been neglected or abused, according to the first national study of the problem in that age group.
Nearly a third of the victims were 1 week old or younger when the maltreatment was reported, government researchers said Thursday. The study focused on children younger than 1.
Most of these cases involved neglect, not physical abuse. In the case of the newborns, experts said, the data suggest drug abuse by the mother might have been the cause for reports of neglect, but they couldn't be certain.
Maternal drug abuse is often discovered through blood tests while newborns are in the hospital, said researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"That is the story here," said Dr. Howard Dubowitz, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
The researchers counted more than 91,000 infant victims of abuse and neglect during the study period — Oct. 1, 2005, to Sept. 30, 2006. About 30,000 of those cases were newborns 1 week old or younger.
The information came from a national database of cases verified by protective services agencies in 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. more...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.