But all families have stress, Engel notes. These studies continually match against supposedly normal, intact families. I wonder what would be the outcome if they compared to families where a parent had a chronic terminal illness or there was a special-needs child in the household. It may not, in fact, be the marital status but the stress factors on families we should be looking at. She also points out that day-care settings can play a part in potential accidents.
Kids tend to be the bouncing ball here.
He praises the study for suggesting the public health community should take up the issue. Our public health systems should recognize divorce or being a single parent as both medical and psychosocial risk factors, and should plan appropriate programs. Engel agrees the public health system needs to get involved. What To Do For a list of links on child safety, see the National Safe Kids Campaign . You can also get information on how to protect your child from injury by visiting Safe 'N Sound Kids .