Abusive head trauma: The body of the iceberg - A population-based survey on prevalence and perpetrators.

Background: Research on abusive head trauma (AHT) is usually research on clinically identified cases, while population-based studies, having the potential to identify cases of shaking that did not end with hospital admission, are missing to date.

Objective: Thus, we aimed to assess the prevalence of AHT and associated risk factors in a representative sample of the German population.

Participants And Setting: We conducted a cross-sectional, observational study in Germany from July to October 2021.

Survey on Reporting of Child Abuse by Pediatricians: Intrapersonal Inconsistencies Influence Reporting Behavior More than Legislation.

: Internationally, various laws govern reporting of child abuse to child protection services by medical professionals. Whether mandatory reporting laws are in place or not, medical professionals need internal thresholds for suspicion of abuse to even consider a report ("reasonable suspicion" in US law, "gewichtige Anhaltspunkte" in German law). To compare internal thresholds for suspicion of abuse among US and German pediatricians, i.

Child Abuse and Neglect and the Burden of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Families: A Series of Cases Consulted at the German Medical Child Protection Hotline.

Increased stress and decreased resources during a lockdown and social distancing can augment the risk for child abuse and neglect during the COVID-19 pandemic.Health practitioners should continue to be prepared for potentially rising numbers of cases of child abuse and neglect.Child protection services and mental health care should be considered essential and be available for adults and children at all times.

[Reporting "Reasonable Suspicion" of Child Abuse - A Survey among Physicians and Psychotherapists in Germany].

Background: There is evidence that health care professionals are uncertain about the legal framework when suspicion of child abuse or neglect is raised. This could result in inconsistent handling of such cases, putting children at risk in further danger. The present study was intended to provide an empirical basis for examining the knowledge of the legal framework among health care professionals.

Reasonable suspicion in reporting child maltreatment: a survey among German healthcare professionals.

Background: With regular contacts to the general child population, healthcare professionals could play an important role in the detection of child maltreatment. However, a majority of child maltreatment cases go unnoticed by the healthcare system. Child protection legislations usually offer terms like "reasonable suspicion" to corner a threshold that warrants reporting to child protection services (CPS) is defined as.

Lifespan risks of growing up in a family with mental illness or substance abuse.

Growing up in a family with one member being affected by mental health problems or substance abuse is an adverse childhood experience which can lead to socioeconomic and health-related impairments in later life. Furthermore, the risk of child maltreatment is increased in affected families, which often adds to the individual risk factors. However, the interdependence between the particular risk factors is not well understood.

[Improving child protection in healthcare: peer counseling, education, and research using the example of abusive head trauma].

Too often, diagnosis of maltreatment is missed by healthcare professionals - thus denying children in danger from necessary protection. Insufficient knowledge and insecurities towards professional confidentiality and how to approach child protection services may be the reasons for the failure to protect children effectively.In this article, we present how a comprehensive concept by the competence center of child protection in medicine of the state of Baden-Wurttemberg consisting of peer counseling, peer education, and research can add to the prevention of maltreatment.

Awareness of abusive head trauma in a German population-based sample: implications for prevention.

Background: Despite efforts to reduce the incidence of abusive head trauma (AHT), incidence rates remain high. One cause is that prevention programs mostly aim to educate mothers of newborns on AHT and infant crying. However, mothers commonly have already a high knowledge and constitute only a minority among identified AHT perpetrators.

Child maltreatment is mediating long-term consequences of household dysfunction in a population representative sample.

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) exhibit long-lasting consequences on later life and are considered as a major public health problem. ACEs can be divided into household dysfunctions, which affect the child indirectly, and direct maltreatment. As a high correlation between ACEs in general is known, we assessed the risk for child maltreatment associated with the occurrence of household dysfunctions.

Abuse as a Cause of Childhood Fractures.

Background: It is well known that physical abuse of children all too often escapes detection. Fractures are among the potential consequences of physical abuse but are also com- mon in childhood because of accidents. A question frequently addressed to the Medical Child Protection Hotline (Medizini- sche Kinderschutzhotline) is how fractures due to abuse can be distinguished from accidental fractures.

Do we get the message through? Difficulties in the prevention of abusive head trauma.

Many programs aim to prevent abusive head trauma throughout the USA, Europe, and in many other regions of the world. Most of these programs inform mothers shortly after delivery about the dangers of abusive head trauma. Effectiveness of these programs usually is measured by the increase of knowledge on abusive head trauma.