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Child abuse in the form of head trauma (formerly called ‘shaken-baby-syndrome”) has been seen to increase alarmingly during times of great economic strain – during a recession.
Approximately twice the numbers of babies, children under two, have been hospitalized for non-accidental head trauma, and recession-related stress is being blamed.
One of the authors of the study that uncovered this trend says, “The reasons for why this is happening are beyond the scope of our study, but it may be that more parents are stressed to the breaking point because of economic problems like unemployment and foreclosures.”
Another idea is presented by a NY Brain Injury Lawyer. He says that in some cases, a family is forced to move in with other family members or friends when they are removed from their own homes because of financial inability. These newly combined family members do not have as vested an interest in caring properly for infants and injury can easily result.
This study echoes the research revealed in a 2010 study by University of Pittsburgh researchers. That study also found an increase of double the number of abuse-related head traumas in a period defined as a recession.
Both studies directly branched off findings the doctors noticed in the pediatric neurosurgery field according to a New York Brain Injury Lawyer.
The research team found that a 101% increase in the number of non-accidental head and brain trauma (NAHT) occurred during the recession than the amount reported prior to the recession period. Significantly more serious injuries were also noted during the recession, resulting in more deaths and cases of severe brain injury, the research team found. The findings were startling. Hospitals in Queens and Staten Island have to take precautions and avoid harmful situations.
Pediatricians and pediatric emergency room technicians should be made aware of the rise in child abuse during periods of economic strain so they can be even more observant.
Sadly, the chairman of pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center was not surprised by the findings. “We know that times of increased stress may be more dangerous for babies, and so it makes sense that in a recession, where there are all kinds of very stressful situations, we would see an uptick in these kinds of injuries.”
If your child has been injured at the hands of others who are taking out their stress on your young one, contact a New York Brain Injury Attorney to see to it that you and your child are protected and compensated. A New York Brain Injury Attorney will handle related cases that help individuals to get their life back. To get the assistance of a New York Brain Injury Attorney, you only need to get a good referral. The Office of Stephen Bilkis and Associates can offer you support and guidance as well as a free consultation when you contact us at 1-800-NY-NY-LAW. We have offices in N York City, including Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and The Bronx and in Nassau County, Suffolk County and Westchester County.