It is estimated that millions of children are physically, emotionally, and/or sexually abused each year.  Children under the age of  3 account for nearly 30 percent of victims.  Currently, over 24 billion dollars a year are spent on child protection and treatment. “Practicing Safety” a project sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation works to decrease child abuse and neglect by expanding anticipatory guidance and increasing screening for possible child abuse and neglect by pediatric practices to parents                                                      of children ages 0-3.

Research shows that parents turn to doctors and other healthcare professionals for parenting advice second only to their own mothers. Therefore, the general pediatrician is in a prime position to play a greater role in the primary and secondary prevention of child abuse and neglect.

Practicing Safety focuses on expanding anticipatory guidance on seven “new morbidities” that, if discussed by the pediatric staff and implemented by the parent, can help to reduce child abuse and neglect. The AAP hopes to expand the program nationally.  Currently there are nine practices participating in the project from New Jersey and Pennsylvania.