Estimating the incidence of substance exposed newborns with child welfare system involvement.
Child abuse and neglect
Child protective services
Infant
Neonatal abstinence syndrome, opioid, child welfare
Prenatal substance use
Journal
Child abuse & neglect
ISSN: 1873-7757
Titre abrégé: Child Abuse Negl
Pays: England
ID NLM: 7801702
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
16 Jan 2024
16 Jan 2024
Historique:
received:
29
01
2023
revised:
04
12
2023
accepted:
31
12
2023
medline:
18
1
2024
pubmed:
18
1
2024
entrez:
17
1
2024
Statut:
aheadofprint
Résumé
Prenatal substance use can have negative health consequences for both mother and child and may also increase the likelihood of child welfare involvement. The rate of newborns with substance exposure has increased dramatically. As of 2016, federal law requires notification of all infants to child welfare agencies so that a plan of safe care can be developed and referrals to services can be offered. Child welfare agencies have not historically collected consistent, systematic data identifying substance exposed newborns. We utilized a unique strategy to identify substance exposed newborns with child welfare involvement. We used data from the National Child Abuse & Detection System (NCANDS) which captures N = 3,189,034 unique child protective services investigations for children under the age of 1 between 2004 and 2017. We calculated the incidence of substance exposed newborns investigated by child welfare agencies and compared with other administrative data on prenatal substance exposure. We also analyzed this rate by infant demographic characteristics (race/ethnicity, sex, rurality). Between 2004 and 2017, approximately 13 % of infants reported to child protective services were likely reported because of substance exposure at birth, and the rate of substance exposed newborns with child welfare involvement increased from 3.79 to 12.90 per 1000 births, an increase of 240 %, over this period. Understanding the extent of the substance use crisis for child welfare involvement is important for policymakers to support children and families.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Prenatal substance use can have negative health consequences for both mother and child and may also increase the likelihood of child welfare involvement. The rate of newborns with substance exposure has increased dramatically. As of 2016, federal law requires notification of all infants to child welfare agencies so that a plan of safe care can be developed and referrals to services can be offered.
OBJECTIVE
OBJECTIVE
Child welfare agencies have not historically collected consistent, systematic data identifying substance exposed newborns. We utilized a unique strategy to identify substance exposed newborns with child welfare involvement.
PARTICIPANTS & SETTING
METHODS
We used data from the National Child Abuse & Detection System (NCANDS) which captures N = 3,189,034 unique child protective services investigations for children under the age of 1 between 2004 and 2017.
METHODS
METHODS
We calculated the incidence of substance exposed newborns investigated by child welfare agencies and compared with other administrative data on prenatal substance exposure. We also analyzed this rate by infant demographic characteristics (race/ethnicity, sex, rurality).
RESULTS
RESULTS
Between 2004 and 2017, approximately 13 % of infants reported to child protective services were likely reported because of substance exposure at birth, and the rate of substance exposed newborns with child welfare involvement increased from 3.79 to 12.90 per 1000 births, an increase of 240 %, over this period.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
Understanding the extent of the substance use crisis for child welfare involvement is important for policymakers to support children and families.
Identifiants
pubmed: 38232502
pii: S0145-2134(23)00617-8
doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106629
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
106629Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.