NCJ Number
165910
Journal
Virginia Child Protection Newsletter Volume: 45 Dated: (Summer 1995) Pages: 1,3-7,14-16
Editor(s)
J Grayson
Date Published
1995
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Child abuse medical specialists stress that all medical providers should work together to assist families with child abuse and neglect problems and that other investigation, prosecution, treatment, and prevention professionals should appreciate the role of the medical team.
Abstract
A multidisciplinary approach to child abuse and neglect is recommended that considers the importance of medical management. Failure to appreciate the limitations of medical tests may cause a prosecutor to assume a finding rules out abuse when that finding instead is merely inconclusive. In addition, failure to appreciate follow medical needs can compromise healing and recovery if parents or foster parents are not consistent in following through with rehabilitation. Barriers to medical research on child abuse are noted, and the importance of better documentation of the medical needs of abused children is emphasized. Medical management procedures are described for abusive head injuries, burns, skin and soft tissue injuries, fractures, abdominal injuries, poisoning, Munchausen syndrome by proxy, sexual abuse, and serious and fatal neglect.