Child abuse registration, fetal growth, and preterm birth: a population based study.
OBJECTIVE
To study the relation of intra-uterine growth and gestational age with child protection registration in a 20 year whole population birth cohort.


METHODS
West Sussex area of England.


METHODS
Retrospective whole population birth cohort.


RESULTS
Child protection registration; individual categories of registration-sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Population and


METHODS
119,771 infants born in West Sussex between January 1983 and December 2001 with complete data including birth weight, gestational age, maternal age, and postcode.


RESULTS
In all categories of registration a linear trend was noted such that the lower the birth weight z score the higher the likelihood of child protection registration. Similar trends were noted for gestational age. All these trends were robust to adjustment for maternal age and socioeconomic status.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that lower levels of fetal growth and shorter gestational duration are associated with increased likelihood of child protection registration in all categories including sexual abuse independent of maternal age or socioeconomic status. This study does not permit comment on whether poor fetal growth or preterm birth predispose to child abuse and neglect or the association arises because they share a common pathway.
School of Health and Social Studies and Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. n.j.spencer@warwick.ac.uk
Nick
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Spencer
Ann
A
Wallace
Ratna
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Sundrum
Claire
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Bacchus
Stuart
S
Logan
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class