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This Child Fatality information provided by the Injury & Violence Prevention section of the Office of Disease Prevention & Epidemiology.
- Special Topics 3. Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths  There were 20 abuse and neglect related deaths in 1999. Abuse and neglect deaths among children numbered 34 in 1997 and 24 in 1998. Of the 20 deaths in 1999, nine were due to abuse and in 11 cases
neglect was determined to be a contributing factor to the death. Abuse and neglect were defined according to standards developed by the State Child Fatality Review Team. The rate of death due to child abuse and neglect is 2.3 per 100,000. 9
Neglect contributed to deaths classified as due to the following causes:
motor vehicle crash (2), suffocation (2), fire (2), drowning (1), unex-pected
infant death (1), gunshot wound (1), natural causes (1),
strangulation suicide (1).
SCF Histories Among Children Who Die Unexpectedly in Oregon It is estimated that 4% of Oregon children were the subject of an SCF referral in 1999. Among children who died of unexpected causes, 24% had a family history of a referral to SCF for child abuse or neglect.
Recommendations to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths
9 State Office of Services to Children and Families. The Status of Children in Oregon's Child Protection System, 1999. Oregon Department of Human Services, Salem, Oregon. Rate calculated based on 1999 Oregon population estimate of Oregon Youth aged less than 18 from Center for Population Research at Portland State University. Data collection efforts from 1997 to 1999 have improved and more information is known about the presence of disabilities, a family history of drug and alcohol abuse, and a history of domestic violence. For the comparison of multiple years, a consistent definition was applied to all categories. |
Abuse deaths were inflicted by shaken baby (5), strangulation (2),
suffocation (1), and water intoxication (1).
Major risk factors in the families of children who died by abuse and neglect include: prior arrest or conviction for crimes (55%), family history of abuse and neglect referrals (55%), alcohol abuse (50%), drug abuse (40%), domestic violence (37%), and victim history of abuse and neglect referrals (32%). Methamphetamine was the drug indicated in half of the families with history of drug abuse.
