EL DIARIO-LA PRENSA

The maltreatment of children is not an individual tragedy. It is a public health problem—one that is preventable.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on the abuse and neglect of infants. In 2006 , 91,278 infants up to age 1 were victims of nonfatal maltreatment. What is even sadder is that almost 40 percent of these babies suffered during their first month of life.

This early abuse has implications for adolescence and adulthood. Children who are abused or neglected are at greater risk for poor health outcomes and risky health behaviors as they become older.

This is the same warning that organizations like the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) have been sounding for years. The CDF also emphasizes that a safe start for all children is not an out-of-reach goal.

Initiatives such as the Nurse Family Partnership and programs that cultivate “promotoras” — family health counselors—are among the successful, proactive models applied in some cities, including in New York and New Jersey.

READ MORE: http://www.eldiariolaprensa.com/noticias/detail.aspx?section=25&desc=Editorial&id=1847222

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