Year Published: 2016
Authors: Shanaaz Mathews, Lorna J Martin
Publisher: Health and Medical Publishing Group
Suggested Citation: Mathews S, Martin LJ (2016) Developing an understanding of fatal child abuse and neglect: Results from the South African child death review pilot study. South African Medical Journal (SAMJ) 106(12): 1160-1163.
Fatal child abuse is the severest consequence of violence against children. Yet, little is known about this phenomenon, as routine data do not describe it. Child death review (CDR) teams have been established to systematically review deaths from birth to adolescence as a public health response to better identify child abuse deaths, to develop policy and to improve the child protection response. This article describes the incidence of fatal child abuse and injury patterns associated with such deaths.