Approximately 1 in 20 infants worldwide experience physical abuse by their caregivers during their first two years of life.
This is the central finding of a new study jointly conducted by researchers at UBC School of Medicine and Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), which is the first to compile anonymous reports from caregivers about behaviors such as spanking, slapping, shaking, and slapping.
Approximately 4 to 5 percent of parents are physically aggressive toward their babies. This should cause us all to pause and think about interventions that have the potential to change behavior. ”
Dr. Nicole Fairbrother, Clinical Associate Professor in the UBC Department of Family Practice and Director of the Perinatal Anxiety Laboratory
Because infants are completely dependent on their caregivers, they are particularly vulnerable to physical attacks that can occur in a variety of situations. This occurs not only in moments of stress, sometimes with overworked caregivers, but also within families facing other challenges such as mental health difficulties or existing violence in the home.
While some people consider spanking or wrist slapping to be “discipline,” such behavior can have a lasting impact on a child’s learning, behavior, and mental health. Evidence shows that these actions cause harm and increase the likelihood of more serious violence in the future. Understanding how common this type of behavior is could help health systems, policy makers, and families focus on prevention and support for parents before bad moments lead to injury.
Dr Fairbrother, co-lead author Cora Keeney, MUN’s Dr Jonathan Fawcett and colleagues reviewed 20 studies that together covered more than 220,000 infants and caregivers across multiple countries. When caregivers were questioned anonymously and privately, 4.8% reported at least one act of physical aggression towards their infant under 24 months of age. The situation remained the same, although the percentage was slightly lower (3.9%) when “minor” acts such as spanking were excluded. This is common and mostly hidden.
This study helps explain why official statistics often look low. Most child protection records record only the most serious incidents that someone notices and reports.
“Anonymous surveys allow caregivers to uncover behaviors that would never reach the clinic, police, or social workers,” said MUN Assistant Professor Dr. John Fawcett, who co-led the study. “By integrating these studies, we can estimate not just what was detected, but what is actually happening at the population level.”
The researchers also focused on specific behaviors. Tremors occurred with a low but notable frequency, estimated to be around 2-3%. Spanking was more common in some samples.
The authors point to a combination of practical support and policy measures that could help address this issue. Raising infants and toddlers can be stressful, with things like lack of sleep, constant crying, and worrying about money, and even calm caregivers can find themselves in frustrating moments when they react in ways they wouldn’t normally. Simple, well-timed education for new parents can help, including what to do when crying peaks, easy-to-reach support lines, and home visiting programs.
Clear policies that set norms for hitting children are also important. Countries that ban corporal punishment send a consistent message that violence has no place in care.
This area of research still needs better and broader data, especially from underrepresented regions. Further research will allow researchers to examine important details, such as whether infection rates vary by infant age or caregiver characteristics, allowing them to focus prevention efforts where they are needed most.
“Infancy is the most vulnerable period of life and many cases of physical aggression never appear in official statistics,” Dr Fairbrother said. “Knowing its true extent is the first step to stopping it.”
The study was published Wednesday. e-clinical medicineLancet Magazine.
sauce:
University of British Columbia
Reference magazines:
Keeney, C.L. Others. (2026). Prevalence of physical abuse of infants aged 0–24 months by caregivers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. eClinical Medicine. DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2026.103812. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(26)00059-3/fulltext
