Frequency, Consequences, and Determinants of Suboptimal Care in the Initial Care Pathway of Child Physical Abuse

Overview

Physical abuse is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the general child population. There are no data specific to the French child care and protection systems, and very few studies have examined the optimality of protective measures following a diagnosis of child physical abuse. the investigators propose to conduct a confidential, prospective, population-based study, in order to assess the frequency of suboptimal care, to describe the typology of suboptimal care, to assess the immediate consequences of suboptimal care on the health of the child, and to identify the determinants of suboptimal care.

Each year, 4 to 16% of minors are reported to be physically abused in high-incomes countries. Physical abuse is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the general child population. American and Canadian studies have shown that the diagnosis of child physical abuse is often delayed, putting children at risk of recurrence of abuse before diagnosis. There are no data specific to the French child care and protection systems, and very few studies have examined the optimality of protective measures following a diagnosis of child physical abuse. A better understanding of the typology of suboptimal care, its consequences and its determinants would allow to propose targeted action plans to optimize the care pathway and thus reduce the risk of recurrence and morbimortality. the investigators therefore propose to conduct a confidential, prospective, population-based study with an expert committee in the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal of Rennes, in order to assess the frequency of suboptimal care, to describe the typology of suboptimal care, to assess the immediate consequences of suboptimal care on the health of the child, and to identify the determinants of suboptimal care. This study will allow a multidisciplinary work (medical, social, educational and legal) around child physical abuse in order to set up, in a second time, interventional trials to reduce these delays and to build the first French regional registry of child physical abuse.

Conditions