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The number of cases of abusive(1) head trauma(2) in children has increased dramatically(3) since the beginning of the recession(4) in December 2007, according to(5) a multi-center(6) study led by Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC(7).

Results of the study are being presented by lead researcher(8) Rachel Berger, MD(9), MPH(10), on Saturday, May 1, at the Pediatric(11) Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia. Dr. Berger is a child abuse(12) specialist and researcher at Children's Hospital's Child Advocacy(13) Center.

The study involved 512 patients with abusive head trauma who ranged in age from 9 days to 6 years. It addition to Pittsburgh, the patients were treated at children's hospitals in Cincinnati, Columbus and Seattle.

The number of cases of abusive head trauma (shaken baby syndrome(14)) rose from six per month before Dec. 1, 2007, to 9.3 per month after that date. Researchers collected demographic(15) and clinical data for all cases of unequivocal(16) abusive head trauma before the recession (Jan. 1, 2004, through Nov. 30, 2007) and cases during the recession (Dec. 1, 2007, through Dec. 31, 2009).

"Our results show that there has been a rise in abusive head trauma, that it coincided with(17) the economic recession, and that it's not a phenomenon(18) isolated(19) to our region but happening on a much more widespread(20) level," Dr. Berger said. "This suggests we may need to dramatically increase our child abuse prevention(21) efforts now and in future times of economic hardship(22)."

Of the children studied, 63 percent had injuries(23) severe enough that they had to be admitted to pediatric intensive care units(24), and 16 percent died.