Statistics on non-accidental head injuries in infants
November 2011
- Non-accidental head injury is the most common cause of fatal child maltreatment.
- As many as 1 in 9 mothers have shaken their baby and 2 in 9 have felt like shaking their baby.
Research statistics
- Non-accidental head injuries among infants represent one of the most severe forms of child abuse, with 13 to 30% mortality rates and significant neurological impairments in at least a half of the survivors.
From:
Dias, Mark S. Smith, Kim, deGuehery, Kathy, Mazur, Paula, Li, Veetai and Shaffer, Michele L. (2005) Preventing abusive head trauma among infants and young children: a hospital-based parent education programme . Pediatrics, 115(4): 470-477.
- Inflicted head injuries that involve injury to the brain or bleeding within the structures around the brain are the leading cause of death of children who have been abused. There is an estimated prevalence of 1 per 3,000 in babies of less than six months.
From:
Welsh Child Protection Systematic Review Group and NSPCC (2009) Core-Info: head and spinal injuries in children. London: NSPCC.
- Incidence studies of non-accidental head injuries (NAHI) in the UK have suggested figures ranging from roughly 10 - 14 per 100,000 infants per year.
- A study of NAHI in the Lothian Region of Scotland for 1998-2006 found a mean incidence of nearly 34 per 100,000 infants per year. Researchers suggested this high incidence figure could reflect shortcomings in larger population area studies.
- The study also found that 64% of NAHI cases occurred in the most deprived quintile of the region's population (using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation).
From:
Minns, Robert A., Jones, Patricia A. and Mok, Jacqueline Y. Q. (2008) Incidence and demography of non-accidental head injury in southeast Scotland from a national database. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 64(4): 126-133.
Freely view abstract or access full text by subscription: American Journal of Preventive Medicine 64(4): 126-133.- A population-based study conducted in south Wales and the south west of England found that the majority of subdural haemorrhages (a blood clot between the brain and the outer membrane) in children aged under two years are due to child abuse.
- It is estimated that approximately 12 children per 100,000 under the age of two years suffer from non-accidental subdural haemorrhage, with at least half of these injuries being related to shaking.
From:
Jayawant, S., Rawlinson, A., Gibbon, F., Price, J., Schulte, J., Sharples, P. Sibert, J.R. and Kemp, A.M. (1998) Subdural haemorrhages in infants: population based study. British Medical Journal 317(7172): 1558-1561.
- Infants suffering non-accidental head injury are most likely to come from disadvantaged households facing multiple challenges with increased parental instability and poor support networks
From:
Sanders, Tom, Cobley, Cathy, Coles, Lisa and Kemp, Alison (2003) Factors affecting clinical referral of young children with a subdural haemorrhage to child protection agencies. Child Abuse Review 12(6): 358-373. Freely view abstract or access full text by subscription: Child Abuse Review 12(6): 358-373.
- A survey of 83 mothers in east London found that as many as 1 in 9 mothers had shaken their baby and 2 in 9 had felt like shaking their baby.
From:
Shepherd, Julie and Sampson, Alice (2000) 'Don't shake the baby': towards a prevention strategy. British Journal of Social Work 30(6): 721-735. Freely view abstract or access full text by subscription: British Journal of Social Work 30(6): 721-735.
- A study of children aged under 2 years who were admitted to hospitals in south Wales and south west England between 1992 and 1998 with subdural haemorrhage from non-accidental head injury found that the alleged perpetrators of the abuse were male carers in 70% of cases.
From:
Kemp A.M. and Coles L. (2003) The role of health professionals in preventing non-accidental head injury. Child Abuse Review 12(6): 374-83. Freely view abstract or access full text by subscription: Child Abuse Review 12(6): 374-83.
Contact the NSPCC Information Service for further information on non-accidental head injury, child abuse statistics or any child protection topic
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