Screening Adult Patients in Emergency Departments (EDs) for Risk Factors of Child Maltreatment. A Swedish…

StudyActa paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)· Jul 2026

Screening Adult Patients in Emergency Departments (EDs) for Risk Factors of Child Maltreatment. A Swedish Pilot Study.

Christoffer Dovik, Josefine Cattell, Lisbeth Jönsson … Louise Laurell

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Child Abuse PediatricsStudyClinical practice

Nearly half of children flagged via ED adult screening were unknown to child protection services

Screening Adult Patients in Emergency Departments (EDs) for Risk Factors of Child Maltreatment. A Swedish Pilot Study.

Christoffer Dovik … Louise Laurell

Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway · Jul 2026

Background

Swedish healthcare staff are obliged to immediately report suspected child maltreatment (child maltreatment) to child protection services (child protection services), but often fail this duty.

Purpose

The aim of the present study was to pilot test a Swedish version of the Dutch 'child-check' instrument, and evaluate a retrospective case series.

Methods

Following implementation, retrospective data was collected 2021-2022 from registries at the hospital ED and one municipal child protection services.

n = 295 adult

Results

nearly half of flagged children were previously unknown to child protection services

Total reports of conce

131childr

Not previously known t

62childr

More results

The screening instrument identified 295 adult care-seekers with risk factors for child maltreatment.

“

Conclusion · 1 of 2

Our study suggests that the Swedish version of the instrument, 'child-check adult', could play an important role for ED personnel in identifying adults with risk factors for child maltreatment.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

We therefore aim to implement it in all Swedish regions.

Screening Adult Patients in Emergency Departments (EDs) for Risk Factors of Child Maltreatment. A Swedish Pilot Study.

Screening Adult Patients in Emergency Departments (EDs) for Risk Factors of Child Maltreatment. A Swedish Pilot Study.

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