July 31, 2009
From Pediatrics via USA Today, here are some illuminating statistics on our most vulnerable. In a new study, babies under age 2 are more likely to be killed by their parents than by anyone else.
Here is a list of the most common perpetrators of infant death and the percentages the study attributes to each:
Father: 33.8%
Mother: 22.5%
Mother’s boyfriend: 22.5%
Babysitter: 7%
Other male relative: 5.6%
Acquaintance: 4.2%
Foster mother: 1.4%
Unknown: 1.4%
Educating Dads May Help Protect Babies from Abuse, USA Today, July 31, 2009.