Bottom Line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of primary care interventions to prevent child maltreatment. Child maltreatment, which includes child abuse and neglect, can have profound effects on health, development, survival, and well-being throughout childhood and adulthood. The prevalence of child maltreatment in the U.S. is uncertain and likely underestimated. In 2021, an estimated 600,000 children were identified by Child Protective Services as experiencing abuse or neglect and an estimated 1,820 children died of abuse and neglect. The USPSTF routinely makes recommendations about the effectiveness of preventive care services and this recommendation is consistent with the previous 2018 recommendation statement.
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(doi:10.1001/jama.2024.1869)
