الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Child physical abuse is a common problem of childhood. The family physician must be able to recognize suspicious injuries, conduct a comprehensive and careful examination with appropriate auxiliary tests, critically assess the explanation provided for the injury or injuries, and establish the probability that the explanation does or does not correlate with the pattern, severity, and/or age of the injury or injuries. Child abuse is classified to the following subtypes: psychological/emotional abuse; neglect; physical abuse; and sexual abuse. Victims of abuse comprise a significant proportion of all child psychiatric admissions, with lifetime incidence of physical and sexual abuse estimated at 30.0% among child and adolescent out-patients, and as high as 55.0% among psychiatric inpatients. The family physician is responsible for reporting suspected abuse, documenting his or her opinions clearly, and providing the necessary information and expertise to investigative and legal personnel and parents, when appropriate. In addition, pediatricians are uniquely qualified to work with parents and caregivers to prevent abuse by providing anticipatory guidance on normal child behavior and its management. |