Study: Kids safer with biological parents

COLUMBIA, Mo., Aug. 4 (UPI) -- A U.S. researcher found children living with unrelated adults are more likely than those living with biological parents to die of maltreatment-related injuries.

The study, published in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship, said children living in homes with unrelated adults are six times more likely than those living with two biological parents to die of maltreatment-related unintentional injuries.

The study found the risk of maltreatment death is double for children living with foster or step-parents, or other related adults. However, the risk is not higher for children living in households with a single biological parent and no other adults.

Patricia Schnitzer of the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing examined eight years of data from the Missouri Child Fatality Review Program, which identifies the circumstances and causes of all child deaths.

Schnitzer identified 380 children under age 5 who died of an unintentional injury.

"In most cases, we found that the parent or other adult responsible for supervising the child simply was not present when the injury occurred," Schnitzer said in a statement. "Young children need nearly constant supervision, and of course, that's not always possible, but it should be the parent's highest priority."