CDC Report Says Cost of Child Abuse Comparable to Diabetes

Child abuse and neglect cases are comparable to expensive health conditions such as diabetes and stroke and cost more than $124 billion in healthcare every year, a new report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals.

Researchers from CDC examined confirmed child maltreatment cases, including child abuse and neglect, in just one year and found more than 579,000 non-fatal and 1,740 fatal cases.

The researchers found that each non-fatal case cost the healthcare more than $210,000 which is comparable to diabetes (costing $253,000) and stroke which has a lifetime cost $159,000.

"No child should ever be the victim of abuse or neglect -- nor do they have to be. The human and financial costs can be prevented through prevention of child maltreatment", the director of CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Linda Degutis said.



Source: Medindia