29 Feb Fewer Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma In States With Paid Family Leave

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Joanne Klevens

Dr. Joanne Klevens, MD, PhD, MPH
Division of Violence Prevention
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, Georgia

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Klevens: Pediatric abusive head trauma is a leading cause of fatal child maltreatment among young children and current prevention efforts have not been proven to be consistently effective. In this study, compared to seven states with no paid family leave policies, California’s policy showed significant decreases of hospital admissions for abusive head trauma in young children. This impact was observed despite low uptake of policy benefits by Californians, particularly among populations at highest risk of abusive head trauma.

 Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Klevens: This study provides promising evidence of the benefits of a societal-level intervention, paid family leave policy, on reducing hospital admissions due to abusive head trauma.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Klevens: The results suggest that it may be beneficial to look at how societal-level prevention strategies, like policy changes, could have greater impact. 

Medical Research: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Dr. Klevens: Societal-level prevention strategies could have a broader and more sustained impact in preventing abusive head trauma.

Citation:

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Dr. Joanne Klevens, MD, PhD, MPH (2016). Fewer Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma In States With Paid Family Leave 

Last Updated on February 29, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD