Pregnancy in Adolescence ; Knowledge ; Child, Unwanted ; Child, Abandoned

OBJECTIVETo investigate the situation and the influential factors of child neglect between left-behind children and living-with-parents children aged 6-17 years in the rural areas in western China.

METHODSStudents were randomly selected according to the principle of multi-stage stratified cluster sampling and they were from three cities in Shanxi and four districts in Chongqing. Among the 4,131 children, there were 1,874 students in the 6-11 years group and the left-behind children accounted for 50.21% (941/1,874) in this group. There were 2,257 students in the 12-17 years old group and the left-behind children accounted for 53.35% (1,204/2,257) in this group. The questionnaire named "Evaluation on Neglect for Elementary and Secondary School Students Aged 6-17 Years in Rural Areas in China" was used in the field investigation. The students' neglect frequency was described by neglect rate and the factors affecting students' neglect were analyzed by means of binary logistic regression.

RESULTSIn the 6-11 years old group, the neglect rates of left-behind children and living-with-parents children were 63.03% (474/752) and 43.87% (347/791), respectively (χ2=58.86, P<0.001). In the 12-17 years old group, the neglect rates of left-behind children and living-with-parents children were 60.64% (627/1 034) and 53.57% (495/924), respectively (χ2=9.96, P<0.001). For factors influencing left-behind children, compared to the factors about boys, younger mother (≤40 years old), presence of parents' income reduction within the last year and nuclear family, the factors about girls, elder mother (41-49 years), absence of parents' income reduction within the last year and three-generation family or single-parent family were associated with lower neglect risk, and OR values were 0.67, 0.68, 0.70, 0.73, and 0.43 (P<0.05); compared to the factors about Han nationality, only child, with separate room at home, and resident children, the factors about other nationalities, non-only child, no separate room at home, and non-resident children were associated with high neglect risk, and OR values were 1.85, 1.34, 1.46, and 1.32 (P<0.05); compared to the lower father's education background (primary school or uneducated), the higher father's education background (junior middle school, senior middle school, technical secondary school, college and above) was associated with lower neglect risk, and OR values were 0.66, 0.50, and 0.25 (P<0.05); compared to good relationship between children and parents as well as good relationship between parents, fair or poor relationship was associated with high neglect risk, and OR values were 1.57-3.79 (P<0.05). For factors influencing non-left-behind children, compared to the factors about younger mother (≤40 years old), changes of patient's work in the last year, presence of parents' income reduction within the last year and nuclear family, the factors about elder mother (41-49 years), no changes of patients' work in the last year, absence of parents' income reduction within the last year and three-generation family or single-parent family were associated with lower neglect risk, and OR values were 0.69, 0.71, 0.75, 0.82, and 0.56 (P<0.05); compared to the factors about Han nationality, only child and younger father (≤40 years old), other nationalities, the factors about non-only child, and elder father (41-49 years) were associated with high neglect risk, and OR values were 1.45, 1.56, and 1.57 (P<0.05); compared to lower father's education background (primary school or uneducated), higher father's education background (junior middle school, senior middle school, technical secondary school, college and above) was associated with lower neglect risk, and OR values were 0.65 and 0.49 (P<0.05); compared to good relationship between children and parents as well as good relationship between parents, fair or poor relationship was associated with high neglect risk, and OR values were 1.56-7.69 (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe situation of child neglect among left-behind children aged 6-17 years in rural areas of the two provinces in western China was serious, their neglect rates were higher than those of living-with-parents children, and there were many risk factors affecting the neglect rates of the two group children.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child Abuse ; Child, Abandoned ; China ; Demography ; Female ; Humans ; Income ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mothers ; Parents ; Research ; Risk Factors ; Rural Population ; Schools ; Students ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and summarize the characteristics of the death cases of the abandoned babies in Shanghai, and to explore the main points and features in forensic investigation. METHODS: Twenty-seven death cases of the abandoned babies were selected from 2007 to 2011 in the Institute of Forensic Science of Shanghai Public Security Bureau. The cases were retrospectively analyzed in the respects of scene of abandonment, cause of death and manner of death, etc. RESULTS: Among the death cases of the abandoned babies in Shanghai, most of the infants were alive with young unmarried mothers. The main cause of death was mechanical asphyxia, and homicide occurred more commonly. CONCLUSION It is significantly difficult to determine the cause and manner of death in such cases, needing to be a comprehensive analysis on the case background, the investigation of scene and the examination of injury, etc.
Asphyxia/etiology* ; Autopsy ; Cause of Death ; Child, Abandoned/statistics & numerical data* ; China/epidemiology* ; Female ; Forensic Pathology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infanticide ; Male ; Retrospective Studies

INTRODUCTIONThis study aimed to describe the demographic, social, developmental and behavioural profile of children hospitalised for alleged child maltreatment syndrome (CMS).

METHODSThis study was a retrospective review of the consecutive inpatient records of children (0-16 years) admitted to the National University Hospital, Singapore, for alleged CMS over a three-year period. Descriptive data on the demographic characteristics, alleged maltreatment, medical and developmental histories, and family background of these children were collected and analysed. Chi-square statistics were used to test whether family factors were associated with the type of maltreatment and the presence of developmental disorders.

RESULTSA total of 89 children, who accounted for 90 admission cases, were studied. Physical abuse (70.0%) was the most common, followed by neglect (11.1%) and sexual abuse (7.8%). Child protection services had already been involved in 29.2% of the cases prior to the child's admission. Children who were victims of abuse were more likely to come from homes with a prior history of domestic violence (p = 0.028). Financial difficulty was found to be a risk factor for neglect (p = 0.005). Among the 89 children, 15.7% were found to have developmental disorders and 10.1% had mental health diagnoses. Children who had developmental disorders were more likely to have a parent with a mental health disorder (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONA sizeable proportion of the children admitted for alleged CMS had developmental or behavioural disorders. Clinicians have a role in ensuring that these children have appropriate follow-up plans. Children from high-risk families should be screened for maltreatment.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child Abuse ; statistics & numerical data ; Child, Abandoned ; statistics & numerical data ; Child, Institutionalized ; statistics & numerical data ; Child, Orphaned ; statistics & numerical data ; Child, Preschool ; Developmental Disabilities ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Inpatients ; statistics & numerical data ; Male ; Poverty ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Singapore ; epidemiology