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 Medicine

Volumn 13, Issue 4, 2016, Pages

  Abrahams, Naeemah ^a   Mathews, Shanaaz ^b   Martin, Lorna J ^b,c   Lombard, Carl ^a   Nannan, Nadine ^a   Jewkes, Rachel ^a  

^a SOUTH AFRICAN MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL   (South Africa)

^b UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN   (South Africa)

^c WESTERN CAPE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE   (South Africa)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; AUTOPSY; CHILD; CHILD ABUSE; CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY; FEMALE; HUMAN; HUMAN TISSUE; INFANT; INFANTICIDE; MALE; PRESCHOOL CHILD; RETROSPECTIVE STUDY; SEX DIFFERENCE; SEXUAL ASSAULT; SOUTH AFRICA; ABANDONED CHILD; ADULT; AGE DISTRIBUTION; CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE; CRIME VICTIM; FATHER; HOMICIDE; MOTHER; NEWBORN; ODDS RATIO; RISK FACTOR; SEX RATIO; TIME FACTOR; TRENDS; YOUNG ADULT;

ADULT; AGE DISTRIBUTION; AUTOPSY; CHILD ABUSE; CHILD ABUSE, SEXUAL; CHILD, ABANDONED; CHILD, PRESCHOOL; CRIME VICTIMS; CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES; FATHERS; FEMALE; HOMICIDE; HUMANS; INFANT; INFANT, NEWBORN; INFANTICIDE; MALE; MOTHERS; ODDS RATIO; RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES; RISK FACTORS; SEX DISTRIBUTION; SOUTH AFRICA; TIME FACTORS; YOUNG ADULT;

EID: 84964766303     PISSN: 15491277     EISSN: 15491676     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002003     Document Type: Article

References (38)

1. Pinheiro PS, World report on violence against children. Geneva: United Nations; 2006. Available: http://www.unicef.org/violencestudy/reports.html.
2. Mathews S, Jamieson L, Lake L, Smith C, South African child gauge 2014. Cape Town: University of Cape Town Children’s Institute; 2014. Available: http://www.ci.org.za/depts/ci/pubs/pdf/general/gauge2014/ChildGauge2014.pdf.
3. Liu L, Johnson HL, Cousens S, Perin J, Scott S, Lawn JE, et al. Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality: an updated systematic analysis for 2010 with time trends since 2000. Lancet. 2012;379:2151–2161. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60560-122579125
4. United Nations Children’s FundHidden in plain sight: a statistical analysis of violence against children. New York: United Nations Children’s Fund; 2014. Available: http://www.unicef.org/publications/index_74865.html.
5. Mathews S, Abrahams N, Jewkes R, Martin JL, Lombard C, The epidemiology of child homicides in South Africa. Bull World Health Organ. 2013;91:562–568. doi: 10.2471/BLT.12.11703623940403
6. Resnick PJ, Murder of the newborn: a psychiatric review of neonaticide. Am J Psychiatry. 1970;126:1414–1420. 5434623
7. Porter T, Gavin H, Infanticide and neonaticide: a review of 40 years of research literature on incidence and causes. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2010;11:99–112. doi: 10.1177/152483801037195020554502
8. Bortoli LD, Coles J, Dolan M, A review of maternal neonaticide: a need for further research supporting evidence-based prevention in Australia. Child Abuse Rev. 2013;22:327–339.
9. Razali S, Kirkman M, Ahmad SH, Fisher J, Infanticide and illegal infant abandonment in Malaysia. Child Abuse Neglect. 2014;38:1715–1724. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.06.00825048164
10. Ojedokun UO, Atoi EN, The baby bumping phenomena in Nigeria: a study of the perceptions of market women in Ibadan. Int J Child Youth Family Stud. 2012;4:409–425.
11. Modie-Moroka T, Vulnerability and risk amplified across a life course: an empirical study of women and criminality in Botswana. J Soc Dev Afr. 2003;18:145–179.
12. Allotey P, Reidpath D, Establishing the causes of childhood mortality in Ghana: the ‘spirit child’. Soc Sci Med. 2001;52:1007–1012. doi: 10.1016/S0277-9536(00)00207-011266045
13. Outwater AH, Mgaya E, Campbell JC, Becker S, Kinabo L, Menick DM, Homicide of children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. East Afr J Public Health. 2010;7:345–349. 22066333
14. Prinsloo M, Laubscher R, Neethling I, Bradshaw D, Fatal violence among children under 15 years in four cities of South Africa, 2001–2005. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot. 2011;19:181–184. doi: 10.1080/17457300.2011.63521122166056
15. Dorrington R, Bradshaw D, Laubsher R, Nannan N, Rapid mortality surveillance report 2013. Cape Town: South African Medical Research Council; 2014. Available: http://www.mrc.ac.za/bod/RapidMortalitySurveillanceReport2013.pdf.
16. Friedman SH, Horwitz SM, Resnick PJ, Child murder by mothers: a critical analysis of the current state of knowledge and a research agenda. Am J Psychiatry. 2005;162:1578–1587. 16135615
17. Brookman F, Nolan J, The dark figure of infanticide in England and Wales: complexities of diagnosis. J Interpers Violence. 2006;21:869–889. doi: 10.1177/088626050628893516731989
18. Herman-Giddens ME, Smith JB, Mittal M, Carlson M, Butts JD, Newborns killed or left to die by a parent: a population-based study. JAMA. 2003;289:1425–1429. doi: 10.1001/jama.289.11.142512636466
19. South African Government. Inquests Act 58 of 1959. Available: http://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/acts/1959-58.pdf.
20. Abrahams N, Mathews S, Martin LJ, Lombard C, Jewkes R, Intimate partner femicide in South Africa in 1999 and 2009. PLoS Med. 2013;10:e1001412. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.002862023565064
21. Abrahams N, Jewkes R, Martin LJ, Mathews S, Vetten L, Lombard C, Mortality of women from intimate partner violence in South Africa: a national epidemiological study. Violence Vict. 2009;24:546–556. 19694357
22. Dorrington R, Alternative South African mid-year estimates. Cape Town: Centre for Actuarial Research; 2013. Available: https://www.commerce.uct.ac.za/Research_Units/CARE/Monographs/Monographs/Mono13.pdf.
23. Msemburi W, Pillay-van Wyk V, Dorrington R, Neethling I, Nannan N, Groenewald P, et al. Second National Burden of Disease Study for South Africa: cause of death profile—Free State Province 1997–2010. Cape Town: South African Medical Research Council; 2014. Available: http://www.mrc.ac.za/bod/FreeState2010.pdf.
24. Harries J, Gerdts C, Momberg M, Greene Foster D, An exploratory study of what happens to women who are denied abortions in Cape Town, South Africa. Reprod Health. 2015;12:21. doi: 10.1186/s12978-015-0014-y25884479
25. Jha P, Kumar R, Vasa P, Dhingra N, Thiruchelvam D, Moineddin R, Low male-to-female sex ratio of children born in India: national survey of 1·1 million households. Lancet. 367:211–218. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)67930-016427489
26. Drescher-Burke K, Krall J, Penick A, Discarded infants and neonaticide: a review of the literature. Berkeley (California): National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center; 2004. Available: http://aia.berkeley.edu/media/pdf/discarded_infants_literature_review.pdf.
27. Hatters Friedman S, Resnick PJ, Child murder by mothers: patterns and prevention. World Psychiatry. 2007;6:137–141. 18188430
28. Adinkrah M, Maternal infanticides in Fiji. Child Abuse Neglect. 2000;24:1543–1555. doi: 10.1016/S0145-2134(00)00208-811197033
29. Amon S, Putkonen H, Weizmann-Henelius G, Almiron MP, Formann AK, Voracek M, et al. Potential predictors in neonaticide: the impact of the circumstances of pregnancy. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2012;15:167–174. doi: 10.1007/s00737-012-0268-022426944
30. Friedman SH, Resnick PJ, Neonaticide: phenomenology and considerations for prevention. Int J Law Psychiatry. 2009;32:43–47. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2008.11.00619064290
31. Jewkes RK, Wood K, Maforah NF, Backstreet abortion in South Africa. S Afr Med J. 1997;87:417–418. 9254779
32. Putkonen H, Weizmann-Henelius G, Collander J, Santtila P, Eronen M, Neonaticides may be more preventable and heterogeneous than previously thought—neonaticides in Finland 1980–2000. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2007;10:15–23. 17216371
33. Coovadia H, Jewkes R, Barron P, Sanders D, McIntyre D, The health and health system of South Africa: historical roots of current public health challenges. Lancet. 2009;374:817–834. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60951-X19709728
34. Seedat M, Van Niekerk A, Jewkes R, Suffla S, Ratele K, Violence and injuries in South Africa: prioritising an agenda for prevention. Lancet. 2009;374:1011–1022. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60948-X19709732
35. Rognum T, Sudden infant death syndrome: need for simple definition but detailed diagnostic criteria. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003;157:293. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.157.3.293
36. MRC Research Unit for Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies, PPIP Users, Saving Babies Technical Task TeamSaving babies 2003–2005: fifth perinatal care survey of South Africa. Pretoria: MRC Research Unit for Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies; 2009. Available: http://www.ppip.co.za/wp-content/uploads/Saving-Babies-2003-5.pdf.
37. Mathews S, Abrahams N, Martin LJ, Child deaths reviews in the context of child abuse fatalities—learning from international practice. Cape Town: University of Cape Town Children’s Institute; 2013. Available: http://www.ci.org.za/depts/ci/pubs/pdf/workingdiscussionpapers/2013/Child%20death%20reviews%20briefing%20paper%20June%202013.pdf.
38. Sidebotham P, Fraser J, Fleming P, Ward-Platt M, Hain R, Patterns of child death in England and Wales. Lancet. 384:904–914. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61090-925209490