Another case of Child abuse was shown today on TV news.
It seems that we can’t stop this and some parents preffer to remain in silence rather than to speak out loud about this impunity.
I think it is time to recognize this cases and report them to the authorities. So today’s matter is to know the facts about child abuse & neglect.
Also know as child maltreatment it is a group of comission, omission and lack of actions, that result in morbidiy and/or mortality.
It is every agression or omission of intentional nature, indoor or outdoor, against child(s), before or after the birth that affects their bio-psycho-social integrity. This actions can be from an individual, a group of people (society), an institution taking advantage of their physical and/or intelectual superiority.
There is a triad of child abuse:
- Child: Often a non-accepted (desired) kid, malformation, chronic or acute diseases.
- Agressor: Often a parent or caretaker, alcoholic or drug abuse problem, background of abuse.
- Triggers: Unemployment, marital disfunction, social and economic problems.
It’s importance: 2,900,000 cases / year on U.S.A of wich 33% is physical abuse. Second leading cause of death in child less than 5 years old.
Diagnosis:
You should always suspect child abuse when:
Clinical aspects on child: Non-correlated history given by parents, small height, poor hygiene, previous lesions, malnutrition, non-desired/non-accepted child, incomplete vaccination schedule.
Clinical aspects on child’s family: Delayed medical attention, abuse background, step-mother/father, alcoholism, ask for medical attencion by someone else outside the central group of family.
It is required a multidisciplinary team: Primary care Physician, Pediatrician, Social work, Mental Health, Lawyer, Voluntaries.
The action of preventive mesures should include all levels of society: International organizations, Federal instances, Local community (church, school, friends, pediatrician, etc), Child’s family and Child.
Who where ever you are do: Let’s stop this.
Regards,
Jon Mikel Iñarritu, M.D.
technorati tags: child abuse, child neglect, child maltreatment, Kempe’s syndrome, unbounded medicine, medicine
