Child maltreatment mortality in Canada: An analysis of coroner and medical examiner data.

Abstract

Background: Fatalities are the most severe consequence of child maltreatment, but there are gaps in what is known about the epidemiology of such deaths in Canada.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to: (1) identify child maltreatment deaths among those classified as homicide or undetermined manner; (2) estimate rates of child maltreatment mortality by sex, age, geography, and year; and (3) measure differences between rates of child maltreatment mortality and homicide mortality.

Methods: We used a cross-sectional design and analyzed mortality data from the Canadian Coroner and Medical Examiner Database for a ten-year period (2007 to 2016). To identify child maltreatment deaths, we reviewed narrative data about children aged 0 to 17 years old whose deaths were classified as homicide or undetermined. Descriptive statistics, mortality rates, and incidence rate ratios were calculated.

Results: Among the 1758 child deaths due to homicide or an undetermined manner, maltreatment was the probable cause in 20.4 % (n = 359) of deaths; most child maltreatment deaths (72.1 %, n = 259) were among children younger than 5 years old. The national child maltreatment mortality rate was 0.55 deaths per 100,000; the rate was highest among infants (3.43 per 100,000) and decreased at older ages.

Conclusion: This study provides evidence about the epidemiology of child maltreatment mortality in Canada.