Growing research points to economic policies as protective mechanisms for vulnerable families. Research on pediatric abusive head trauma suggests that paid family leave (PFL) may protect infants in the general population from physical abuse. To examine the association of state-level paid family leave policies with infant (ages 0–1) maltreatment rates. A state-level panel dataset was constructed from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (2002–2019) data on infant maltreatment investigations among four states with PFL (California, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island) and 36 states without PFL. A piecewise longitudinal model and a nested model comparison were conducted to estimate the treatment effect of PFL on the population rate of infant maltreatment investigations. Supplementary analyses examined the moderating effect of three covariates. PFL reduced the linear rate of change in infant maltreatment rates in the states where it was enacted by a factor of 0.979 for each year post-policy implementation compared to states without such policies, = -0.021, = 0.008, 95 % CI = [−0.036,-0.005]. Examining treatment states only, the slope of infant maltreatment became significantly shallower post-policy implementation, χ(1) = 3.178, = .075. Interactions testing the moderating effects of family poverty and adults with less than high school education were significant, = -0.304, 95 % CI = [−0.564,-0.052]; = -0.511, 95 % CI = [−0.799,-0.249], respectively. Results suggest that PFL has a beneficial effect on infant maltreatment rates and add to growing evidence that policies aimed to support household economic stability could be a vital child maltreatment prevention policy tool.

中文翻译：

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国家带薪家庭假政策和虐待婴儿

越来越多的研究指出经济政策是弱势家庭的保护机制。关于儿童虐待性头部创伤的研究表明，带薪家庭假（PFL）可以保护普通人群中的婴儿免受身体虐待。研究州级带薪探亲假政策与婴儿（0-1 岁）虐待率之间的关系。州级面板数据集是根据国家儿童虐待和忽视数据系统（2002-2019）关于四个有 PFL 的州（加利福尼亚州、新泽西州、纽约州和罗德岛州）和 36 个没有 PFL 的州的婴儿虐待调查的数据构建的。采用分段纵向模型和嵌套模型比较来评估 PFL 对婴儿虐待调查总体发生率的治疗效果。补充分析检查了三个协变量的调节作用。与没有此类政策的州相比，PFL 在政策实施后每年将婴儿虐待率的线性变化率降低了 0.979，= -0.021，= 0.008，95 % CI = [− 0.036，-0.005]。仅检查治疗状态，政策实施后婴儿虐待的斜率明显变浅，χ(1) = 3.178, = .075。测试家庭贫困和高中以下学历成年人的调节作用的交互作用显着，= -0.304，95 % CI = [−0.564，-0.052]； = -0.511，95% CI = [−0.799，-0.249]。结果表明，PFL 对婴儿虐待率具有有益影响，并增加了越来越多的证据表明旨在支持家庭经济稳定的政策可能是重要的儿童虐待预防政策工具。