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USPSTF 2018: evidence insufficient to recommend interventions to prevent child maltreatment (I statement)
Clinical Question
Should primary care clinicians screen for child maltreatment in otherwise healthy-appearing children and adolescents?
Bottom line
In this updated 2018 review, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes there is insufficient evidence to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for child maltreatment (abuse and neglect) in otherwise healthy-appearing children and adolescents (I statement). These recommendations are essentially unchanged from the 2013 USPSTF recommendations. 2c
Reference
Study design: Practice guideline
Funding: Government
Setting: Population-based
Synopsis
In this 2018 update, the task force found insufficient evidence to support the use of an assessment instrument for identifying children at risk of maltreatment. In addition, the task force found limited and inconsistent evidence of the benefits of interventions to prevent child maltreatment, including reports to child protective services and removal of the child from the home. No studies showed evidence of any harms associated with interventions to prevent child maltreatment. The American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics do not specifically recommend primary interventions to prevent child maltreatment.
Reviewer
David C. Slawson, MD
Professor and Vice Chair of Family Medicine for Education and Scholarship
Atrium Health
Professor of Family Medicine, UNC Chapel Hill
Charlotte, NC