Appletree Day Care, Inc

Child Development

After the Baby Comes

| by

After your baby arrives, there’s a lot to think about. Click on the following links to learn more about how to help keep you and your baby healthy and safe, as well as learn about certain birth defects and medical conditions.

Health

Breastfeeding: You and your baby gain many benefits from breastfeeding. Breast milk is easy to digest and has antibodies that can protect your baby from bacterial and viral infections.

Proper Handling and Storage of Breast Milk: Safely prepare and store your expressed breast milk to maintain its high quality and keep your baby healthy. Make sure your baby’s caregivers know how to safely prepare and store the breast milk, too.

Happy baby playing with toy blocks.

Breastfeeding and Travel: Travel need not be a reason to stop breastfeeding. A mother traveling with a nursing infant may find breastfeeding makes travel easier than it would be if traveling with a bottle-fed infant. Find helpful tips for traveling while breastfeeding, and learn about vaccinations for international travel.

Postpartum Depression: Postpartum depression is depression that occurs after having a baby. If you think you have postpartum depression, seek treatment from your health care provider as soon as possible.

Jaundice and Kernicterus: Jaundice can sometimes lead to brain damage in newborns. Before leaving the hospital, ask your doctor or nurse about a jaundice bilirubin test. If you think your baby has jaundice, call and visit your baby’s doctor right away.

Vaccinations: Vaccines are very important to your baby’s health. When you get vaccinated against whooping cough and the flu during your pregnancy, you will pass some immunity (protection) to your baby.  However, that protection will begin to decrease over time, leaving your infant vulnerable to disease.  Make sure he or she gets vaccinated according to CDC’s childhood immunization schedule for safe, proven disease protection.

Immunization Schedules: Follow the schedule found at this link to be sure your baby gets his or her shots on time. If you miss any, check with your doctor about getting back on track.

Vaccination After Pregnancy: It is safe for a woman to receive vaccines right after giving birth, even while she is breastfeeding. Vaccination after pregnancy is especially important if you did not receive certain vaccines before or during your pregnancy.

Newborn Screening: Within 48 hours of your baby’s birth, a sample of blood is taken from a “heel stick,” and the blood is tested for treatable diseases. More than 98% of all children born in the United States are tested for these disorders.

Some babies with a critical congenital heart defect (CHD) appear healthy at first and may be sent home before their critical CHD is detected. Newborn screening for critical CHDs is a tool that works with prenatal diagnosis and physical exams after birth to improve detection of critical CHDs.

Your baby should be screened for hearing loss before 1 month of age, preferably before leaving the birth hospital. Learn more about newborn hearing screening and what happens if your baby doesn’t pass the screening test.

Once your baby is born, you can learn more about ATSDR’s Choose Safe Places for Early Care and Education program, which protects the health of children where they learn and play to reduce your child’s risk of being exposed to dangerous chemicals during their care.

 Top of Page

Visit CDC’s Hear Her campaign website to learn the warning signs to watch for during pregnancy.

Safety

Child Medication Safety:  Every year, one out of every 150 two-year-olds is treated in an emergency department for an accidental medication overdose. Find tips for keeping all medications up and away and out of sight of young children.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): Learn what parents and caregivers can do to help babies sleep safely and reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths, including SIDS.

Child Safety Seats: Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children in the United States. But many of these deaths can be prevented. Always buckling children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts reduces serious and fatal injuries by up to 80%.

Travel: An estimated 2.4 million children from the United States travel internationally each year. Learn how to travel safely with your baby within the country and internationally.

Fire Safety: Find tips to help prevent injury or death from a fire in your home.

Child Maltreatment: Maltreatment is a serious problem that can have lasting harmful effects on a child’s life. Find some strategies to help prevent child maltreatment.

Disaster Safety for Expecting and New Parents Learn general tips to get prepared before a disaster and what to do in case of a disaster to help keep you and your family safe and healthy.

 Top of Page
Happy baby playing with toy blocks.

Development

Child Development: The early years of a child’s life are crucial for learning, social, and emotional development. Learn what you can do to ensure that your child grows up in an environment that meets his or her needs.

Positive Parenting Tips for Babies: Learn how to give your baby a healthy and safe start in the first year of life.

Learn the Signs. Act Early. Measuring your baby’s growth involves more than tracking height and weight. Learn about milestones to watch for in how your baby plays, learns, speaks, and acts.

 Top of Page

Medical Conditions

Birth Defects: Birth defects are structural changes present at birth that can affect almost any part or parts of the body (e.g., heart, brain, foot). They may affect how the body looks, works, or both. About one in every 33 babies is born with a birth defect.

Developmental Disabilities: Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions due to an impairment in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas. About one in six children in the U.S. have one or more developmental disabilities or other developmental delays.

Genetics: If your baby was born with a genetic condition, you may want to work with a genetic counselor in your area to help with information, resources, and support.

Blood Disorders: CDC works to prevent and reduce complications among people with certain blood disorders (bleeding disorders, hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, thrombophilia, and thalassemia).

RSV Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

| by

Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults. RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than 1 year of age in the United States.

Symptoms

 

People infected with RSV usually show symptoms within 4 to 6 days after getting infected. Symptoms of RSV infection usually include

  • Runny nose
  • Decrease in appetite
  • Coughing
  • Sneezing
  • Fever
  • Wheezing

These symptoms usually appear in stages and not all at once. In very young infants with RSV, the only symptoms may be irritability, decreased activity, and breathing difficulties.

Almost all children will have had an RSV infection by their second birthday.

 

Call your healthcare professional if you or your child is having difficulty breathing, not drinking enough fluids, or experiencing worsening symptoms.

Care

Most RSV infections go away on their own in a week or two.

There is no specific treatment for RSV infection, though researchers are working to develop vaccines and antivirals (medicines that fight viruses).

Take steps to relieve symptoms

  • Manage fever and pain with over-the-counter fever reducers and pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. (Never give aspirin to children.)
  • Drink enough fluids. It is important for people with RSV infection to drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration (loss of body fluids).
  • Talk to your healthcare provider before giving your child nonprescription cold medicines. Some medicines contain ingredients that are not good for children.

RSV can cause more serious health problems

RSV can also cause more severe infections such as bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the small airways in the lung, and pneumonia, an infection of the lungs. It is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children younger than 1 year of age.

Healthy adults and infants infected with RSV do not usually need to be hospitalized. But some people with RSV infection, especially older adults and infants younger than 6 months of age, may need to be hospitalized if they are having trouble breathing or are dehydrated. In the most severe cases, a person may require additional oxygen, or IV fluids (if they can’t eat or drink enough), or intubation (have a breathing tube inserted through the mouth and down to the airway) with mechanical ventilation (a machine to help a person breathe). In most of these cases, hospitalization only lasts a few days.

Centers for Disease Control: Learn more about people at high risk for severe RSV infection..

Creating Positive Childhood Experiences

| by

Healthy and happy childhoods start now. Learn how you can help!

Children and families thrive when they have access to safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments. These relationships and environments are essential to creating positive childhood experiences and preventing adverse childhood experiences.

Early negative events impact the health and well-being of children and the adults they become. These negative events are known as adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs. ACEs are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). For example:

  • Experiencing violence or abuse
  • Witnessing violence
  • Having a family member attempt or die by suicide

ACEs also include aspects of the environment like growing up in a household with:

  • Substance misuse
  • Mental health problems
  • Instability due to parental separation or household members being in jail or prison

Some adversity and stress are normal and can even be helpful so that children learn how to react to future challenges. However, if children are repeatedly exposed to adversities like abuse and neglect and unstable relationships or environments, they may experience toxic stress. Discover how toxic stress develops and evolves.

We all benefit when children have safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments. Everyone can help prevent ACEs and promote positive childhood experiences by supporting children and families where you live and work.

Parents and caregivers:
Parenting is hard work! There are many things you can do to create positive childhood experiences.

  • Establish a routine. Children feel secure and thrive when the environment is structured for them.
  • Praise your child when she does something right. The more you praise a behavior, the more likely it is your child will behave the same way again.
  • Pay attention to your child when he is trying to communicate with you. Giving him your full attention will make him feel like you care about what he has to say.
  • Set aside time each day to talk and play with your child. Creating a special time lets your child know she is important and strengthens the bond between the two of you.
  • Check out CDC’s Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers! This resource can help you handle common parenting challenges and improve skills so you can enjoy helping your child grow.

We know that every child and every parent is unique. You may face many different situations and challenges every day. It’s ok to ask for help.

  • Reach out to babysitters, family members, or close friends.
  • Discuss your concerns with your child’s doctor.
  • Find out if your community offers support groups or programs for parents and caregivers.

Friends, family, and neighbors:

As a friend or neighbor, you can develop nurturing, supportive relationships with the children in your life. Offer to babysit, make a meal, or drive a parent or child where they need to go.

Coworkers:
As a coworker, you can listen and support your colleagues by encouraging them to take breaks or seek additional help if needed. You can also offer to help with their workload.

Everyone:
We can all recognize challenges that families face and offer support and encouragement to reduce stress. Everyone can promote social norms that discourage violence and help ensure the safety of all members of a community.

  • Let people know that violence is unacceptable and steps will be taken to protect the victim of violence.
  • Encourage people to stand up and speak up, if they can safely do so, when a person is being harassed or hurt or needs support.

We can also support community programs and policies that provide safe and healthy conditions for all children and families.

  • Examples include supporting family friendly work policies like paid leave and flexible work schedules and supporting policies that strengthen household financial security based on the best available evidence.

Working together, we can help create neighborhoods, communities, and a world in which every child can thrive.

Lead Poisoning Prevention

| by

Protecting children from exposure to lead is important to lifelong good health. No safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to affect learning, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement. While the effects of lead exposure may be permanent, if caught early there are things parents can do [PDF – 234 KB] to prevent further exposure and reduce damage to their child’s health.

The most important step that parents and caregivers, healthcare providers, and public health professionals can take is to prevent lead exposure before it occurs.

CDC supports primary and secondary lead exposure prevention.

  • Primary prevention is the removal of lead hazards from the environment before a child is lead exposed. It is the most effective way to ensure that children do not experience harmful long-term effects of lead exposure.
  • Secondary prevention includes blood lead testing and follow-up care and referral. It remains an essential safety net for children who may already be exposed to lead.
Cover sheet of the How to Prevent Lead Poisoning Fact Sheet

How to Prevent Lead Poisoning in Children

A blood test is the best way to determine if a child has been exposed to lead. The amount of lead in blood is referred to as a blood lead level, which is measured in micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (μg/dL). Most children with lead in their blood have no obvious symptoms. Talk to your child’s health care provider about getting a blood lead test.

Preventing childhood lead exposure is cost-effective.

According to an analysis from the Health Impact Project, [PDF – 7.5 MB] eliminating lead hazards from the places where children live, learn, and play could generate approximately $84 billion in long-term benefits per birth cohort. Additionally, permanently removing lead hazards from the environment would benefit future birth cohorts, and savings would continue to grow over time. CDC is committed to helping address this threat and improving health outcomes for our nation’s most vulnerable citizens—our children.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

| by

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. CDC works to understand ACEs and prevent them.

What are adverse childhood experiences?

Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). For example:

  • experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect
  • witnessing violence in the home or community
  • having a family member attempt or die by suicide

Also included are aspects of the child’s environment that can undermine their sense of safety, stability, and bonding, such as growing up in a household with:

  • substance use problems
  • mental health problems
  • instability due to parental separation or household members being in jail or prison

Please note the examples above are not a complete list of adverse experiences. Many other traumatic experiences could impact health and wellbeing.

ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance use problems in adolescence and adulthood. ACEs can also negatively impact education, job opportunities, and earning potential. However, ACEs can be prevented.

How big is the problem?

ACEs are common. About 61% of adults surveyed across 25 states reported they had experienced at least one type of ACE before age 18, and nearly 1 in 6 reported they had experienced four or more types of ACEs.

Preventing ACEs could potentially reduce many health conditions. For example, by preventing ACEs, up to 1.9 million heart disease cases and 21 million depression cases could have been potentially avoided.

Some children are at greater risk than others. Women and several racial/ethnic minority groups were at greater risk for experiencing four or more types of ACEs.

ACEs are costly. The economic and social costs to families, communities, and society totals hundreds of billions of dollars each year. A 10% reduction in ACEs in North America could equate to an annual savings of $56 billion.

What are the consequences?

ACEs can have lasting, negative effects on health, well-being, as well as life opportunities such as education and job potential. These experiences can increase the risks of injury, sexually transmitted infections, maternal and child health problems (including teen pregnancy, pregnancy complications, and fetal death), involvement in sex trafficking, and a wide range of chronic diseases and leading causes of death such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and suicide.

ACEs and associated social determinants of health, such as living in under-resourced or racially segregated neighborhoods, frequently moving, and experiencing food insecurity, can cause toxic stress (extended or prolonged stress). Toxic stress from ACEs can negatively affect children’s brain development, immune systems, and stress-response systems. These changes can affect children’s attention, decision-making, and learning.

Children growing up with toxic stress may have difficulty forming healthy and stable relationships. They may also have unstable work histories as adults and struggle with finances, jobs, and depression throughout life. These effects can also be passed on to their own children. Some children may face further exposure to toxic stress from historical and ongoing traumas due to systemic racism or the impacts of poverty resulting from limited educational and economic opportunities.

How can we prevent adverse childhood experiences?

ACEs are preventable. To prevent ACEs, we must understand and address the factors that put people at risk for or protect them from violence.

Creating and sustaining safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children and families can prevent ACEs and help all children reach their full potential. CDC has produced a resource, Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Leveraging the Best Available Evidencepdf icon, to help states and communities use the best available evidence to prevent ACEs. It features six strategies from the CDC Technical Packages to Prevent Violence.

Strategy

Strengthen economic supports to families
Promote social norms that protect against violence and adversity
Ensure a stron start for children
Teach skills
Connect youth to caring adults and activities
Intervene to lessen immediate and long-term harms

Approach

  • Strengthening household financial security
  • Family-friendly work policies
  • Public education campaigns
  • Legislative approaches to reduce corporal punishment
  • Bystander approaches
  • Men and boys as allies in prevention
  • Early childhood home visitation
  • High-quality child care
  • Preschool enrichment with family engagement
  • Social-emotional learning
  • Safe dating and healthy relationship skill programs
  • Parenting skills and family relationship approaches
  • Mentoring programs
  • After-school programs
  • Enhanced primary care
  • Victim-centered services
  • Treatment to lessen the harms of ACEs
  • Treatment to prevent problem behavior and future involvement in violence
  • Family-centered treatment for substance use disorders

Raising awareness of ACEs can help:

  • Change how people think about the causes of ACEs and who could help prevent them.
  • Shift the focus from individual responsibility to community solutions.
  • Reduce stigma around seeking help with parenting challenges or substance misuse, depression, or suicidal thoughts.
  • Promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments where children live, learn, and play.

Let’s help all children reach their full potential and create neighborhoods, communities, and a world where every child thrives.

See Adverse Childhood Experiences Resources for publications, data sources, and prevention resources for adverse childhood experiences.

 
Page last reviewed: April 6, 2022
Content source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention

Picky Eaters and What to Do

| by

Español (Spanish)
 
An older infant grimacing.

Your child might not like every food you give him or her on the first try. Give your child a chance to try foods again and again, even if he or she does not like them at first. Children may need to try some foods many times before they like them. Here are some tips that might make trying foods again and again easier.

  • Try freezing small bites of different foods. You can use these later and it avoids throwing a lot of food away.
  • Wait a week before you try the new food again.
  • Try mixing the new food with a food your baby likes, such as breast milk.

As your child gets older, he or she may start refusing foods he or she used to like or he or she may start showing signs of picky eating. Favoring just a couple of foods or not wanting foods to touch each other on the plate are normal behaviors. These behaviors often go away by the time your child is about 5 years old.

To learn more about picky eaters and what to do, watch Tips for Feeding Picky Eaters from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Tips to Help

  • Try again: Wait a couple of days before offering the food again. It can take more than 10 times before you toddler might like it.
  • Mix it up: Mix new foods with foods you know your child likes.
  • Be silly: Make funny faces with the foods on your child’s plate. It might help your child get excited to eat it.
  • Me too: Try eating the food first to show your child you like it. Then, let your child try it.
  • Choices: Give your child a choice of different foods to try. Let your child decide which one to try today.

Choking Hazards

| by

Your baby is learning how to chew and swallow foods. This means your child may choke. By 12 months old, your child is getting better at eating and may even be feeding themselves. Even though your child can now eat most foods, some are still choking hazards. The way food is prepared may increase the risk for choking. For example, some foods that are served uncooked, whole, or in certain shapes or sizes can be choking hazards. Cutting up food into smaller pieces and mashing foods can help prevent choking.

Here are ways to help prevent your child from choking.

Foods and preparation

  • Cook and prepare food to the right shape, size, and texture for your child’s development.
  • Avoid small, sticky, or hard foods that are hard to chew and swallow.

Meals and snacktime

  • Have your child sit up while eating (no lying down, crawling, or walking).
  • Have your child sit in a high chair or other safe place.
  • Avoid letting your child eat in the car or stroller.
  • Keep mealtimes calm. Avoid distractions, disruptions, and rushing when eating.

Always

  • Pay close attention to what your child puts in his or her mouth.
  • Watch your child at all times while he or she is eating.

Be ready

  • Talk to your child’s doctor or nurse to learn what to do if your child chokes.

Potential Choking Hazards for Young Children

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) put together a listexternal icon of foods to avoid because these foods could cause a child to choke. This list may not include all foods which could cause choking. For helpful tips to prevent choking, print this handout pdf icon[PDF-896KB]external icon from the United States Department of Agriculture.

Fruits/Vegetables

  • Cooked or raw whole corn kernels
  • Uncut cherry or grape tomatoes
  • Pieces of hard raw vegetables or fruit, such as raw carrots or apples
  • Whole pieces of canned fruit
  • Uncut grapes, berries, cherries, or melon balls
  • Uncooked dried vegetables or fruit, such as raisins

Proteins

    • Whole or chopped nuts and seeds
    • Chunks or spoonfuls of nut and seed butters, such as peanut butter
    • Tough or large chunks of meat
    • Hot dogs, meat sticks, or sausages
    • Large chunks of cheese, especially string cheese
    • Bones in meat or fish
    • Whole beans

Grain Products

    • Cookies or granola bars
    • Potato or corn chips, pretzels, popcorn, or similar snack foods
    • Crackers or breads with seeds, nut pieces, or whole grain kernels
    • Whole grain kernels of cooked barley, wheat, or other grains
    • Plain wheat germ

Sweetened Foods

    • Round or hard candy, jelly beans, caramels, gum drops, or gummy candies
    • Chewy fruit snacks
    • Chewing gum
    • Marshmallows

Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit

| by

Healthy eating is all about balance. There is no need to add salt or sugar to your child’s food. There are also some foods and drinks that are not safe for your child to eat and others that are not as healthy choices as other foods.

  • A generic can of soda being held in a pour position, with sugar flowing from it. Children younger than 24 months old should not be given foods or drinks with added sugar.

    Honey before 12 months may cause a serious type of food poisoning called botulism. Before your child is 12 months old, do not give him or her any foods containing honey, including yogurt with honey and cereals and crackers with honey, such as honey graham crackers.

  • Unpasteurized drinks or foods (such as juices, milks, yogurt, or cheeses) may put your child at risk for a harmful bacteria that can cause severe diarrhea. Do not give your child unpasteurized drinks or foods such as juice, milk, yogurt, or cheeses. Unpasteurized milk can also be called raw milk.
  • Foods with added sugars, low-calorie sweeteners, or no-calorie sweeteners are not recommended. Foods with added sugars can include muffins, flavored yogurts, or cookies. Children younger than 24 months old should avoid added sugars. Check the Nutrition Facts Labelexternal icon to find foods with no added sugars.
  • Sugar-sweetened drinks (such as soda, pop, soft drinks, flavored milks, sports drinks, flavored water with sugar, and juice drinks) contain added sugars. These drinks are different than 100% juice. Children younger than 24 months old should avoid added sugars.
  • Foods high in salt (sodium), such as some canned foods, processed meats (e.g., lunch meats, sausages, hot dogs, ham), and frozen dinners should be avoided. Some snack foods and store-bought packaged toddler foods are high in salt. Check the Nutrition Facts Labelexternal icon to find foods with less salt.
  • Fish high in mercury, such as king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tilefish (from the Gulf of Mexico), and bigeye tuna should be avoided. Before serving fish caught by family and friends, check for fish and shellfish advisories.external icon Mercury can be harmful to the brain and nervous system if a person is exposed to too much of it over time. While it is important to limit mercury in the diets of children, many types of fishexternal icon are lower in mercury, have important nutrients that support brain development and the immune system, and support a healthy diet. Learn moreexternal icon about which types of fish to avoid and which types of fish to choose to best support your child’s brain and nervous system development.
  • Did You Know?
    A small bowl of honey. Do not give children younger than 12 old honey because it may cause a type of food poisoning called botulism.

    There are certain foods and drinks you should avoid giving your child.

    To learn more, watch these videos from 1,000 Days.

    Cow’s milk before 12 months old may put your baby at risk for intestinal bleeding. It also has too many proteins and minerals for your baby’s kidneys to handle easily and does not have the right amount of nutrients your baby needs.

  • Juice before 12 months old is not recommended. Children should not drink any fruit or vegetable juice before they are 12 months old. Juice after 12 months old is not necessary, but 4 ounces or less of 100% juice a day can be provided. Check Nutrition Facts Labels to make sure it is 100% juice. Juice drinks, fruit drinks, and fruit-flavored drinks have added sugars and should be avoided. Whole fruits are healthier options for your child than fruit juices.
  • Caffeinated drinks, such as soft drinks, tea, coffee, and sports drinks, should be avoided for children younger than age 2. There is no established safe limit for caffeine for young children.

These are just examples of foods and drinks and do not include all possible foods and drinks to avoid or limit. Talk with your child’s doctor or nurse if you have more questions about which foods to avoid or limit.

Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention

| by

Child abuse and neglect are serious public health problems that can have long-term impact on health, opportunity, and wellbeing. CDC works to understand the problems of child abuse and neglect and prevent them.

Video - English

Video - Spanish

What are child abuse and neglect?

Child abuse and neglect are serious public health problems and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that can have long-term impact on health, opportunity, and wellbeing. This issue includes all types of abuse and neglect against a child under the age of 18 by a parent, caregiver, or another person in a custodial role (such as a religious leader, a coach, a teacher) that results in harm, the potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child. There are four common types of abuse and neglect:

  • Physical abuse is the intentional use of physical force that can result in physical injury. Examples include hitting, kicking, shaking, burning, or other shows of force against a child.
  • Sexual abuse involves pressuring or forcing a child to engage in sexual acts. It includes behaviors such as fondling, penetration, and exposing a child to other sexual activities. Please see CDC’s Preventing Child Sexual Abuse webpage for more information.
  • Emotional abuse refers to behaviors that harm a child’s self-worth or emotional well-being. Examples include name-calling, shaming, rejection, withholding love, and threatening.
  • Neglect is the failure to meet a child’s basic physical and emotional needs. These needs include housing, food, clothing, education, and access to medical care.

For more information about preventing child abuse and neglect definitions please see Child Maltreatment Surveillance: Uniform Definitions for Public Health and Recommended Data Elements pdf icon[4.12 MB, 148 Pages, 508].

How big is the problem?

Child abuse and neglect are common. At least 1 in 7 children have experienced child abuse and/or neglect in the past year, and this is likely an underestimate. In 2019, 1,840 children died of abuse and neglect in the United States.

Children living in poverty experience more abuse and neglect. Experiencing poverty can place a lot of stress on families, which may increase the risk for child abuse and neglect. Rates of child abuse and neglect are 5 times higher for children in families with low socioeconomic status compared to children in families with higher socioeconomic status.

Child maltreatment is costly. In the United States, the total lifetime economic burden associated with child abuse and neglect was approximately $428 billion in 2015. This economic burden rivals the cost of other high-profile public health problems, such as stroke and type 2 diabetes.

What are the consequences?

Children who are abused and neglected may suffer immediate physical injuries such as cuts, bruises, or broken bones, as well as emotional and psychological problems, such as impaired social-emotional skills or anxiety.

Child abuse and neglect and other ACEs can also have a tremendous impact on lifelong health, opportunity, and wellbeing if left untreated. For example, exposure to violence in childhood increases the risks of injury, future violence victimization and perpetration, substance abuse, sexually transmitted infections, delayed brain development, lower educational attainment, and limited employment opportunities.

Chronic abuse may result in toxic stress, which can change brain development and increase the risk for problems like post-traumatic stress disorder and learning, attention, and memory difficulties.

How can we prevent child abuse and neglect?

Child abuse and neglect are preventable. There are a number of factors that may increase or decrease the risk for perpetrating and/or experiencing child abuse and neglect. To prevent child abuse and neglect violence, we must understand and address the factors that put people at risk for or protect them from violence. Everyone benefits when children have safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments. CDC has developed a resource, Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect: A Technical Package for Policy, Norm, and Programmatic Activities pdf icon[4 MB, 52 Pages, 508] to help communities take advantage of the best available evidence to prevent child abuse and neglect. This resource is available in English and Spanish pdf icon[21MB, 52 Pages, 508] and can be used as a tool in efforts to impact individual behaviors, as well as family, community, and societal factors, that influence risk and protective factors for child abuse and neglect.

Different types of violence are connected and often share root causes. Child abuse and neglect are linked to other forms of violence through shared risk and protective factors. Addressing and preventing one form of violence may have an impact on preventing other forms of violence.

See Child Abuse and Neglect Resources for publications, data sources, and prevention resources for preventing child abuse and neglect.