Trauma, drowning caused most Florida child abuse, neglect deaths in 2004

Associated Press Writer
Published Wednesday, January 04, 2006

TALLAHASSEE -- Some were the victims of clear crimes of brutality: a 3-month-old hit repeatedly in the stomach by her father until she was dead. A 10-month old girl killed after being shaken furiously by her mother.

Others were the victims of their parents' carelessness: two children left alone in a house played with a lighter and died in the ensuing fire.

Two kids were shot by siblings in cases where guns were left unlocked.

They were the children who died in Florida as a result of child abuse or neglect in 2004, 111 of them in all, state officials said last week.

Each year, the Florida Child Abuse Death Review Team releases data about the children.

Neglect, abuse deaths in 2004

Causes of death in 108 abuse and neglect cases in Florida in 2004 that were reviewed by a state review team. Three other deaths remain under review. Not all deaths are listed and the identities of the children weren't released.

NEGLECT (66 deaths)

22 children drowned, most commonly in swimming pools, where 11 unsupervised children died.

10 children died from hyperthermia -- overheating in a car.

10 children died by sleeping with a parent or other adult, or otherwise asphyxiated because of improper sleeping position.

5 children died in car crashes or were hit by cars in cases where inadequate supervision was found to contribute to the death.

2 children died from medical neglect. One was in a detention facility where staff didn't provide proper medical care, the other child was denied medical care by the child's father.

2 children died after being accidentally shot by siblings who found unlocked guns.

2 children died from undernourishment or dehydration.

2 teens died from overdosing or poisoning by drugs in cases where their parents allowed them to abuse drugs.

Other causes of death included accidental strangulation with a mini-blind, improper medication given by parents, death in house fires set by children, drug use by the mother during pregnancy.

ABUSE (42 deaths)

23 children died from trauma.

5 children died from shaking or impact, such as being dropped.

5 children died in a house fire intentionally set by parents.

Other causes of death included murder by gunshot, stabbing, or suffocation.

The review takes about a year, which is why the data released last week are for 2004 cases.

The 111 children who died in 2004 from abuse or neglect was up from 95 in 2003.

The 2004 review only included 108 of those cases, however, because officials still didn't have key information in three of the cases.

But of those 108 cases, most -- 66 -- were victims of neglect.

The most common type of neglect death was drowning.

The review found that 22 children drowned in 2004 -- 11 in swimming pools.

Three children drowned in a bathtub and one in a bucket.

The rest drowned in canals, ponds or other water bodies.

"Drowning deaths are often called 'tragic accidents,' while they should be called 'tragic deaths that could have been prevented,' " the review team said in recommending more public awareness on the risk of children drowning in backyard pools.

The panel noted that all the 22 children who drowned were unsupervised at the time.

Drowning is listed as the top cause of death for children in many Southern states each year.

Ten children died in Florida in 2004 from being left in overheated cars, or getting into an unlocked car they couldn't get out of.

The review team recommended public service announcements that would remind parents that children should never be left unattended in a car, and that if they have young kids, they should lock their car and keep keys out of kids' reach.

"Parents and caretakers need to get the word out that a car is not a baby sitter, but can easily become an oven," the panel said.

Ten children died in their sleep from unsafe conditions, such as some who were asphyxiated by loose bedding or a parent sleeping with them.

Another five died in vehicle accidents where their death was considered the result of inadequate supervision.

In one case, a child died in a crash in which the child's mother was driving drunk.

Forty-two children died as a direct result of abuse, the majority from physical trauma, such as a beating. Five died from being shaken, dropped or thrown against something.

Five children died in house fires intentionally started by their parents.

The team reviewed all child abuse and neglect deaths in Florida in 2004 -- the first time it has done that.In previous years, it has looked at only some deaths.

Still, the panel said that the data it has, even going back the six years it has researched abuse deaths, doesn't provide a large enough sample to identify many conclusive trends or patterns.

The panel did note some broad trends over the six years it has collected data.

For example, neglect deaths have been more common than abuse deaths, and over the period, male children have been more likely to be the victims than female children.

From 1999 to 2004, the data also show that 60 percent of child victims have been white and 38 percent black.

Fathers or mothers' boyfriends were responsible in 26 percent of deaths, while mothers were responsible in 40 percent of the deaths.

Many of the children were in homes where several risk factors for abuse were found, including a pattern of past abuse or neglect, a parent's criminal history, domestic violence, and alcohol or other substance abuse.