Child neglect in Saudi Arabia: The neglected form of child maltreatment

Objectives: To shed light on types, family profiles, risk factors, and outcomes of child neglect in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was carried out at King Abdullah Specialized Children's Hospital, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Cases of child neglect diagnosed by the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) team were reviewed. Data were extracted from patients' electronic charts and SCAN team records.

Results: A total of 309 cases of child neglect were diagnosed between 2015-2019. Mean age of victims was 4.4±4.1 years, and 51.8% were male gender.Supervisory neglect was the most common form (63.1%), followed by medical neglect (39.2%), emotional neglect (6.8%), physical neglect (5.5%), and educational neglect (3.2%). Children between the ages of one and 3 years were 3.3 times more likely to be victims of supervisory neglect and girls were 4.5 times more likely to be victims of educational neglect. Children living with ≥4 siblings were 7 times more likely to be victims of physical neglect and 1.9 times of medical neglect. With regard to emotional neglect, children of unemployed fathers were 3.5 times more likely to be parentally neglected than children of employed fathers. Worsening of the underlying disease (30%) and internal injuries (23.5%) were the most common consequences of neglect. Mortality attributed to neglect was documented in 8 (2.6%) children.

Conclusion: Although child neglect is common in Saudi Arabia, it has not been recognized as an important cause of morbidity and mortality of children. This implies the need for a national protocol that would help identify high-risk families for early detection and implementation of prevention programs.