Smaller babies 'more vulnerable to abuse'

Last updated at 15:21 15 March 2006


Babies who are premature and of small birthweight are at higher risk of child neglect and abuse, according to new research.

A study of over 100,000 children on the child protection register found the smallest babies were more than twice as likely to be placed on the register as the largest.

It also found the more premature babies were when born, the more likely they were to be placed on the register.

The findings held true even after adjusting for levels of deprivation and age of the mother at birth, both of which are known to influence the length of pregnancy and a baby's birthweight.

Smaller babies 'more vulnerable'

The researchers from Warwick University said the study had not been designed to find the association they had discovered.

However, they suggested such children might be less easy to manage which could make them more vulnerable to abuse and perhaps provoke greater parental hostility.

They also speculated that mothers who are more likely to abuse their children may also be more likely to carry a child that fails to thrive.

The scientists looked at 119,729 children born between 1983 and 2001 who were placed on the child protection register in West Sussex.

Children were placed on the register if they had already suffered physical or emotional abuse but also included those who lived with a registered sex offender.

They assessed how long the babies had been in the womb and their weight before birth.

The results were reported in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

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