Hospital admissions for maltreatment among children younger than 2 years during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Early evidence suggested an increase in child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to assess changes in the incidence rate of hospital admission for maltreatment among children younger than 2 years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We conducted a pan-Canadian population-based interrupted time-series analysis from Apr. 3, 2016, to Mar. 25, 2023. We obtained administrative health data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information and the Institut national d'excellence de santé et services sociaux for all Canadian provinces and territories. The primary exposure was the COVID-19 pandemic period compared with the prepandemic period. The primary outcome was hospital admission for child maltreatment, and the secondary outcome was intensive care u

SUBMITTER: Carwana M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12919996 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature