From 'We Can Do Better: Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in America'

[Click to download .pdf reference document.

From "We can do better: Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in America" published by the Every Child Matters Education Fund, Washington, D.C.:

Too many children die from abuse and neglect each year and the number is growing. Three-quarters of the children are under four. The current systems of child protection are stretched too thin to protect these children. And now a harsh economy combined with a steadily weakened safety net in many states threaten to place ever more children at risk.
Additionally, several studies have concluded that the actual number of child abuse and neglect deaths is believed to be significantly higher than official statistics indicate. There are a variety of reasons, including different state definitions of what constitutes a child abuse and neglect death, data collection methodologies, inconsistent record-keeping across the country, and who it is that actually determines the cause of death.
Children at grave risk of being killed require protection from their national government. Because of the heavy toll child abuse and neglect exacts from the nation--thousands killed, millions of lives ruined, costs of more than $100 billion a year-- a national strategy and initiative are needed to protect children.

Download the entire report here [.pdf].