Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40015726›Full record

ArticleJournal of epidemiology and community health2025

Re-envisaging child protection contacts as an early prevention opportunity to support child development and well-being: an Australian data linkage study.

Kathleen Falster, Rhiannon Megan Pilkington, Tasnia Ahmed, Alicia Montgomerie, Mark Hanly, B J Newton, Marni Brownell, Ben Edwards, Raghu Lingam, Anthony Shakeshaft and 5 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of epidemiology and community health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Kathleen Falster *School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia k.falster@unsw.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2035-5485
Rhiannon Megan Pilkington *School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6974-8496
Tasnia AhmedSchool of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Alicia MontgomerieSchool of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9620-3894
Mark HanlyCentre for Big Data Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
B J NewtonSocial Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Marni BrownellManitoba Centre for Health Policy, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Ben EdwardsCentre for Social Policy Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Raghu LingamSchool of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0161-793X
Anthony ShakeshaftPoche Centre for Indigenous Health Services Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5472-0930
Michelle CretikosCentre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Jessica StewartFamily and Community Services Insights, Analysis and Research, NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Katherine HawkinsChild and Family Support, SA Department of Human Services, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Kitty McCleanQuality and Practice, SA Government Department of Child Protection, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
John W LynchSchool of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo quantify developmental vulnerability at age 5 by child protection contacts before school in two Australian states.

methodsAll children with birth, child protection and/or 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data in New South Wales (NSW) and South Australia (SA) were grouped according to child protection contact before school: no contact, child protection reports, screened-in reports, investigations, substantiations and out-of-home care (OOHC). The outcome was developmental vulnerability on ≥1 AEDC domains or medically diagnosed conditions with support needs at school entry.

results56 650 (14.2%) NSW children and 12 617 (15.6%) SA children had ≥1 child protection contact before school. Developmental vulnerability on ≥1 domains or medically diagnosed conditions was lowest in the no child protection group (NSW, 21-22%; SA, 24-25%), with progressively higher risk in the child protection report (NSW, 35%; SA, 41-46%) through to the OOHC (NSW, 50-54%; SA, 59-66%) groups in all AEDC years. Developmental risk was higher among children aged <2 years at first contact and those with more reports. Children with only one child protection report before school had approximately 65% higher developmental risk than the no child protection group in both states.

conclusionsA single child protection report before school was an early indicator of higher developmental risk at age 5, with higher developmental risks among children with earlier, more serious and frequent child protection contacts. Beyond child safety screening, child protection reports represent an opportunity to mobilise early health and social support for children with developmental support needs.

Indexed as

Child AbuseChild DevelopmentChild Protective ServicesChild WelfareAustraliaChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantInformation Storage and RetrievalMaleNew South WalesSouth AustraliaCHILD HEALTHEPIDEMIOLOGYLife course epidemiologyPREVENTIONPUBLIC HEALTH

Identifiers

PMID40015726
PMCPMC12322469

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.