Physical abuse of young children during the COVID-19 pandemic: Alarming increase in the relative frequency of hospitalizations during the lockdown period.
COVID-19
Child abuse
Hospitalization
Lockdown
Journal
Child abuse & neglect
ISSN: 1873-7757
Titre abrégé: Child Abuse Negl
Pays: England
ID NLM: 7801702
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
12 2021
12 2021
Historique:
received:
18
03
2021
revised:
11
08
2021
accepted:
19
08
2021
pubmed:
7
9
2021
medline:
15
12
2021
entrez:
6
9
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
In France, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a general lockdown from mid-March to mid-May 2020, forcing families to remain confined. We hypothesized that children may have been victims of more physical abuse during the lockdown, involving an increase in the relative frequency of hospitalization. Using the national administrative database on all admissions to public and private hospitals (PMSI), we selected all children aged 0-5 years hospitalized and identified physically abused children based on ICD-10 codes. We included 844,227 children hospitalized in March-April 2017-2020, of whom 476 (0.056%) were admitted for physical abuse. Relative frequency of hospitalization for physical abuse observed in March to April 2020 were compared with those from the same months in the three previous years (2017-2019). Even if absolute number of children exposed to physical abuse did not fluctuate significantly, we found a significant increase in the relative frequency of young children hospitalized for physical abuse from 2017 (0.053%) to 2020 (0.073%). Compared with the 2017-2019 period, and considering the observed decrease in the number of overall hospital admissions during the first lockdown, the number of children exposed to physical violence was 40% superior to what would be expected. The sharp increase in the relative frequency of hospitalizations for physical abuse in children aged 0-5 years in France is alarming. As only the most severe cases were brought to the hospital for treatment during the lockdown, our figures probably only represent the tip of the iceberg of a general increase of violence against young children.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
In France, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a general lockdown from mid-March to mid-May 2020, forcing families to remain confined. We hypothesized that children may have been victims of more physical abuse during the lockdown, involving an increase in the relative frequency of hospitalization.
METHODS
Using the national administrative database on all admissions to public and private hospitals (PMSI), we selected all children aged 0-5 years hospitalized and identified physically abused children based on ICD-10 codes. We included 844,227 children hospitalized in March-April 2017-2020, of whom 476 (0.056%) were admitted for physical abuse. Relative frequency of hospitalization for physical abuse observed in March to April 2020 were compared with those from the same months in the three previous years (2017-2019).
FINDINGS
Even if absolute number of children exposed to physical abuse did not fluctuate significantly, we found a significant increase in the relative frequency of young children hospitalized for physical abuse from 2017 (0.053%) to 2020 (0.073%). Compared with the 2017-2019 period, and considering the observed decrease in the number of overall hospital admissions during the first lockdown, the number of children exposed to physical violence was 40% superior to what would be expected.
INTERPRETATION
The sharp increase in the relative frequency of hospitalizations for physical abuse in children aged 0-5 years in France is alarming. As only the most severe cases were brought to the hospital for treatment during the lockdown, our figures probably only represent the tip of the iceberg of a general increase of violence against young children.
Identifiants
pubmed: 34488053
pii: S0145-2134(21)00368-9
doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105299
pmc: PMC8435815
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
105299Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
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