Characteristics of infant homicides: findings from a U.S. multisite reporting system.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to describe homicides of infants (children <2 years of age) in the U.S.


METHODS
Cases were derived from the National Violent Injury Statistics System; 71 incidents involving 72 infant homicides were in the data set. Type 1 involved beating/shaking injuries inflicted by a caretaker; type 2 involved all other homicides (including neonaticide, intimate partner problem-related homicide, crime-related death, and other types).


RESULTS
Seventy-five percent of the incidents were type 1 incidents, perpetrated mainly by men (83%; typically the infant's father or the boyfriend of the infant's mother). In 85% of the type 1 incidents, the infant was transported to the hospital, usually at the initiative of the perpetrator or another household member. In almost one half of the type 1 incidents, a false story was offered initially to explain the injuries. In contrast, the type 2 incidents (16 cases) were perpetrated mainly by women (11 of 16 cases) and involved methods such as poisoning, drowning, sharp instruments, or withdrawal of food and water; most infants were not taken to the hospital. Although 93% of incidents were perpetrated by caretakers, the large differences between the 2 incident types suggest different avenues for prevention.


CONCLUSIONS
The circumstances involved in the type 1 homicides (beatings by caretakers) suggested that those attacks occurred impulsively, death was unintended, and emergency care was summoned, often with a false story. Previous abuse was suspected in more than one half of those incidents.
Fujiwara
Takeo
T
Section of Behavioral Science, Department of Health Promotion, National Institute of Public Health, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0197, Japan. tfujiwara@niph.go.jp
Barber
Catherine
C
Schaechter
Judy
J
Hemenway
David
D
D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002423:Cause of Death; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D008192:Deception; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007237:Infanticide / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality; D055815:Young Adult