Analysis of child abuse cases admitted in pediatric service in Japan. I. Two types of abusive process in low birth-weight infants.
A very high rate (43.0%) of low birth-weight (LBW) was shown in 331 abused/neglected cases reported from pediatric clinics of major hospitals in Japan. Of 87 LBW cases, 82.8% had medical problems and/or unsatisfactory reunion after non-home care and were abused at a particular age when each of the problems may have caused difficulties in caring. Two types of processes to abuse these intractable LBW were estimated: (i) abusers with psychiatric, mental problems or poor knowledge abused their children during the first 2 years, presumably because of an inability in child rearing; and (ii) abusers with neurosis or abnormal personality abused at ages over 2 years, complained of difficulties with rearing their children, and were suspected to be unable to cope with the difficulties. In both types, a combination of child and parental problems increased at risk. Obstetricians and neonatologists, who first encounter both high-risk mothers while pregnant and LBW, should give due care to the prevention of child abuse.
Tanimura
M
M
Department of Child Ecology, National Children's Medical Research Center, Tokyo, Japan.
Matsui
I
I
Kobayashi
N
N
D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data