Hospital issues warning after child abuse deaths double

The number of child abuse-related deaths recorded at one Las Vegas hospital have doubled in the first 11 months of 2017 over the previous year, officials announced Friday.

Children’s Hospital of Nevada at University Medical Center said seven children have died from abuse-related injuries this year, compared with three last year.

Those numbers represent a small percentage of the child abuse cases in the Las Vegas Valley and are not statistically relevant, but the trend was concerning enough for hospital officials to call a news conference Friday to highlight the issue. ■ Rate of abuse: ■ Rate of death: ■ Child abuse reports:

“The population of the community has tripled, so sure, there’s going to be an increase, but this seems to be a disproportionate rise,” said Jay Fisher, the hospital emergency department’s medical director, noting that the latest numbers were unprecedented in his 25-year career at UMC.

Statewide there were 13 child deaths related to abuse reported in 2015, the most recent year for which data is available, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Fisher said economics and drugs are often factors in child abuse.

Head injuries and bruises on the ears or trunk of a child’s body are common signs of child abuse, Fisher said.

“I think when someone has had a couple of drinks, or they’re doing something else, and they slap a kid, they don’t realize it can be fatal,” he said.

Kids who have been abused often will experience behavioral changes, too. They might stop eating and sleeping and sometimes might vomit unexpectedly, Fisher said.

Hospital staff also will work with the state’s Child Protective Services and local mental health agencies to provide resources for children in abusive homes.

UMC also plans to release an informational video on child abuse and neglect, Fisher said.

Fisher offers this advice for parents or guardians feeling inundated with the responsibilities of parenting: It’s OK to ask for help.

“You’ll get your children back if you just come say, ‘I can’t do this right now, just please, somebody help me,’” he said.

Contact Jessie Bekker at jbekker@ reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4563. Follow @jessiebekks on Twitter.