NCJ Number
237019
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 35 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2011 Pages: 924-929
Date Published
November 2011
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the extent of the malicious use of nonpharmaceuticals in children under the age of 7 reported to poison control centers in the United States.
Abstract
Findings from the study include: between 2000 and 2008, over 21 million human exposure cases were reported to the National Poison Data System (NPDS) database, and 4,053 of the cases involving 4,232 nonpharmaceuticals were identified as malicious use of nonpharmaceuticals in children under the age of 7. An average of 450 cases occurred each year, with the mean age of the victim being 3, and more than half (57 percent) being male. The five most commonly used nonpharmaceuticals were cleaning substances (23 percent), cosmetic/personal care products (13 percent), pesticides (8 percent), other/unknown nondrug substances (6 percent), and foreign bodies/toys or alcohol (5 percent each). This study investigated the extent of the malicious use of nonpharmaceuticals in children under the age of 7 reported to poison control centers in the United States. Data for the study were obtained from the NPDS for the years 2000 through 2008 for cases of children under the age of 7 experiencing exposure to a harmful substance in which at least one of the substances was a nonpharmaceutical. The study found that the malicious administration of nonpharmaceuticals to children is an important aspect of child abuse and maltreatment cases, and that these incidents should not be discounted by clinicians treating these children. Figure, tables, and references