Increase in child abuse injuries during the COVID-19 Pandemic in West Texas

Hector Garcia MEng, Thomas G. Wyatt DO, Amber Tucker MSN, RN, Sharmila Dissanaike MD

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a rapid increase in unemployment and business closures, leaving many families in psychosocial distress and putting the well-being and healthy development of children at risk. There was a sharp increase in cases of child abuse presenting to our institution during the year 2020. Thus, we sought to determine whether the confluence of pandemic-related social changes would result in an increase in child abuse cases severe enough to warrant emergency medical attention in the West Texas region. Compared to the period of 2015–2019, there were 5 deaths in 2020, which exceeded the total number in past five years combined. Consistent with the previous five years, children under 1 year of age represented the largest proportion of child abuse cases, at 58%. This report underscores the need for continued vigilance by healthcare providers and educators in identifying cases of child abuse, as well as the need for additional initiatives to mitigate child maltreatment during times of socioeconomic stress.

Keywords: Child abuse, COVID-19 pandemic, West Texas, psychological stress

Article citation: Garcia H, Wyatt TG, Tucker A, Dissanaike S. Increase in child abuse injuries during the COVID-19 Pandemic in West Texas. The Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles 2021;9(39):25–27
From: Department of Surgery (HG, TGW, SD), Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas; Trauma and Burn Service Department (AT), University Medical Center, Lubbock, Texas
Submitted: 2/14/2021
Accepted: 4/5/2021
Reviewer: Patti Patterson MD, MPH
Conflicts of interest: none
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.