December 10, 2020

Trends in U.S. Emergency Department Visits Related to Suspected or Confirmed Child Abuse and Neglect Among Children and Adolescents Aged <18 Years Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January 2019–September 2020

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Public Health Policy and Practice

Keywords (Tags): public health

• Early in the pandemic during March-April 2020, the total number of US emergency department (ED) visits related to child abuse and neglect among individuals aged <18 years decreased by 53% compared to 2019, but the weekly number of these visits ending in hospitalization remained stable. As a result, the percentage of ED visits for child abuse and neglect resulting in hospitalization increased significantly for all age groups, from an overall 2.1% in 2019 to 3.2%. These findings suggest that while child-abuse related ED visits decreased during the pandemic, injury severity did not decrease.

Swedo et al. (Dec 11, 2020). Trends in U.S. Emergency Department Visits Related to Suspected or Confirmed Child Abuse and Neglect Among Children and Adolescents Aged <18 Years Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January 2019–September 2020. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6949a1