Citation

Rowan JM. Child Abuse Negl. 1979; 3(3-4): 767-776.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1979, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Describes a retrospective study carried out in the North West of England, during 1976 while the author was a post-graduate student at Liverpool University. The possible 'at risk' factors under study were (1) Separation of the mother herself, before 11 years of age, from her mother. (2) Abnormality of pregnancy. (3) Abnormality of labour. (4) Abnormality of puerperium. (5) Low birth weight of baby. (6) Poor ante-natal care. (7) If child placed in special care baby unit. (8.) Consultation with social worker during pregnancy. (9) Apgar score less than nine at ten minutes.Data was collected, from maternal case records of a ten per cent random sample of children on the register of non-accidental injury, and of children born in the same hospital and paired by their sex, their mother's age and parity within a minimum of a year period.The findings revealed that (1) the factors under test, when grouped together, could be reliable predictors of non-accidental injury to children, and (2) that statistical significance was found between the number of possible 'at risk' factors in the subject group and the control group of mothers. In -the subject group of mothers 82.98% were found to have one or more factors present, compared to 55.32% in the control group of mothers.The results appear to warrant a more extensive study with a larger size sample and limited only to confirmed cases of non-accidental injury.However, it may be possible for members of the primary care teans to use this information in setting priority criteria for visiting, in attempts to reduce the occurrences of nonaccidental injury.