Citation

Steinbeigle R, Barr M, Barr RG, Miller TR. Child Abuse Rev. 2020; 29(3): 208-217.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/car.2626

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In order to illustrate the medical and financial impact arising from the care of a severely injured victim of abusive head trauma (AHT) from incident through to adulthood, a complete review of all medical financial files for the injured child beginning at the time custody of the child was transferred to the paternal grandparents (2.5 months of age) through to age 17 was conducted. Cost data were extracted from the insurance explanation of benefits or the family's bank statements. Costs were divided into seven categories and adjusted for inflation using the gross domestic product medical care deflator. Medical costs from 2.5 months to 18 years of age totaled $261 499, with $106 607 of out-of-pocket expenditures by the child's paternal grandparents and $154 892 covered by insurance. Costs were highly variable from year to year as reflected in the standard deviation of annual costs of $16 877. The cost of caring for a seriously injured victim of AHT is substantial. The costs may be highly variable and unpredictable from year to year making it difficult for families to plan financially. Key Practitioner Messages The financial impact of AHT on a family can be substantial and unaffordable. The financial impact for a family varies wildly from year to year. The often unaffordability of caring for a victim of AHT limits the quality and access to care in households with lower incomes.

Language: en

Keywords

abusive head trauma; cost analysis; costs; shaken baby syndrome