THE STUDY POPULATION FOR THIS RESEARCH WAS 29 ABUSED CHILDREN WHOSE FAMILIES HAD BEEN REFERRED TO THE HOSPITAL SOCIAL WORKER EITHER DURING THE PREGNANCY OR THE NEONATAL PERIOD. A CONTRAST GROUP OF 55 NON-ABUSED CHILDREN WHOSE FAMILIES HAD ALSO BEEN REFERRED TO THE SOCIAL WORKER WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED, AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TWO GROUPS WERE COMPARED. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE TWO GROUPS COULD BE DISTINGUISHED BY THREE VARIABLES: (1) THE ABUSED CHILDREN WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN IN THE SPECIAL CARE NURSERY: 59 PER CENT COMPARED WITH 24 PER CENT (2) THEIR FAMILY'S SOCIAL PROBLEMS AT DELIVERY WERE 'DIFFUSE' RATHER THAN 'DEFINED': 90 PER CENT COMPARED WITH 27 PER CENT. (3) CONCERN OVER MOTHERING WAS RECORDED IN THE MATERNITY HOSPITAL RECORDS IN 72 PER CENT OF THE CASES COMPARED WITH 15 PER CENT OF THE CONTRAST GROUP. IT IS CONCLUDED THEREFORE THAT FAMILIES 'AT RISK' CAN, IN PRACTICE, BE ASCERTAINED IN THE MATERNITY HOSPITAL. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...DMC