New estimates published in PLOS Medicine suggest that homicide could be responsible for just over 1% of all neonatal deaths in South Africa. Together with other studies reporting on child homicide from other countries, these findings emphasize the importance of child protection, and highlight a need for cross-sector services to support vulnerable mothers.
In the research, Naeemah Abrahams of the South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa, and colleagues studied medical and legal data, from a random sample of urban and rural settings across the country, for 2009. The researchers estimated that 454 children (95% Confidence Interval 366-541) under the age of 5 years were killed. Most deaths were in infants aged 0-6 days, with abandonment being the most common method of homicide in this age group.
Obtaining accurate estimates of the occurrence of child homicide is challenging, because causes of deaths may be hard to determine. In an accompanying Perspective, written by authors independent of the research team, Delan Devakumar and David Osrin of University College London, UK note that Abrahams and colleagues used the best methods available to them, culminating in estimates of child homicide that are "substantial". Devakumar and Osrin note that "protecting vulnerable children is a priority" and that primary prevention should be strengthened by work "with adolescent women to provide advice and support on sexual health, contraception, and childbirth".
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Research Article with accompanying Perspective
Funding:
Research Article:
The study was funded by Open Society Foundation and from baseline funds from the South African Medical Research Council. NA and RJ, of the The South African Medical Research Council, contributed as authors to the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, and preparation of the manuscript. NN, of The South African Medical Research Council, contributed as an author to the data analysis, decision to publish, and preparation of the manuscript.
Perspective:
There was no specific funding for this study. DD is supported by the National Institute of Health Research. DO is supported by The Wellcome Trust.
Competing Interests:
Research Article:
We have read the journal's policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interest: RJ is a member of the Editorial Board of PLOS Medicine. The authors declare that no further competing interests exist.
Perspective:
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Citations:
Abrahams N, Mathews S, Martin LJ, Lombard C, Nannan N, Jewkes R (2016) Gender Differences in Homicide of Neonates, Infants, and Children under 5 y in South Africa: Results from the Cross-Sectional 2009 National Child Homicide Study. PLoS Med 13(4): e1002003. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002003
Devakumar D, Osrin D (2016) Child Homicide: A Global Public Health Concern. PLoS Med 13(4): e1002004. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002004
Author Affiliations:
Research Article:
Gender and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
Children's Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Forensic Pathology Services, Western Cape Government, Cape Town, South Africa
Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Biostatistics Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
Perspective:
Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, United Kingdom
Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002003
http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002004
Contact:
Naeemah Abrahams
Senior Researcher
Medical Research Council of South Africa
Gender & Health Research Unit
P O Box 19070 Tygerberg
Cape Town , 7405
SOUTH AFRICA
+27 21 9380445
nabraham@mrc.ac.za
Delan Devakumar
Clinical Lecturer in Public Health
UCL
Institute for Global Health
30 Guilford St
London, WC1N 1EH
UNITED KINGDOM
d.devakumar@ucl.ac.uk
Journal
PLoS Medicine