Child Abuse Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Child Abuse, including details on family violence, examinations, long-term effects, psychiatrics disorders.

Health services use and growth patterns among older siblings of infants with prenatal drug exposure.

Bertsch CM, Mullins SM, Chaffin M

Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, OK 73190, USA.

The health care use patterns, suspected maltreatment, and growth trajectories of siblings of infants with prenatal drug exposure were examined. Ninety-three siblings of drug-exposed infants were matched with patients from the same primary care clinic. The case patients were found to have significantly fewer health care contacts, more deficient immunizations, and more reports of suspected child maltreatment. Although they did not differ in birth weight, growth curve modeling found that case patients had lower weight gain trajectories. When drug-exposed infants are identified, nursing personnel are in a unique position to assist the siblings of those identified infants obtain needed medical care and services.

Published 3 February 2006 in Appl Nurs Res, 19(1): 10-5.
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