Citation

Wall-Wieler E, Roos LL, Brownell M, Nickel NC, Chateau D. Child Abuse Negl. 2017; 76: 1-9.

Affiliation

Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, S110-750 Bannatyne Avenue, R3E 0W3, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, University of Manitoba, 408-727 McDermot Avenue, R3E 3P5, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.09.033

PMID

28992512

Abstract

The objective of this study is to determine which maternal events and diagnoses in the two years before childbirth are associated with higher risk for having a first child taken into care at birth by child protection services. A population-based retrospective cohort of women whose first child was born in Manitoba, Canada between 2002 and 2012 and lived in the province at least two years before the birth of their first child (n=53,565) was created using linkable administrative data. A logistic regression model determined the adjusted odds ratios (AOR) of having a child taken into care at birth. Characteristics having the strongest association with a woman's first child being taken into care at birth were mother being in care at the birth of her child (AOR=11.10; 95% CI=8.38-14.71), substance abuse (AOR=8.94; 95% CI=5.08-15.71), schizophrenia (AOR=6.69; 95% CI=3.89-11.52) developmental disability (AOR=6.45; 95% CI=2.69-14.29), and no prenatal care (AOR=5.47; 95% CI=3.56-8.41). Most characteristics of women deemed to be at high risk for having their child taken into care at birth are modifiable or could be mitigated with appropriate services.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Child protection services; Linkable administrative data; Maternal risk factors