The process whereby a clinician decides that child abuse is a diagnostic possibility is often marked with doubt and fear. Abusive parents can present convincing lies, and children with suspicious…
Uncertainty in the diagnosis of abuse can have profound implications for the health and safety of the child, the emotional burden of a family, and investigative and criminal proceedings. A…
Cultural diversity poses challenges within the health care setting, particularly regarding the question of how health professionals can resolve the tension between respecting cultural norms or child-rearing practices and the…
Cognitive errors have been studied in a broad array of fields, including medicine. The more that is understood about how the human mind processes complex information, the more it becomes…
This article reviews some of the challenges and pitfalls in communicating with families when abuse is part of the differential diagnosis and offers some suggestions for improving communication with parents…
Corporal punishment is used for discipline in most homes in the United States. It is also associated with a long list of adverse developmental, behavioral, and health-related consequences. Primary care…
Emotional maltreatment may be the most complex, prevalent, and damaging form of child maltreatment and can occur simultaneously with other forms of abuse. Children in the first few years of…
Medical providers need to monitor growth at every visit. Weight status is influenced by genetics, medical conditions, socioeconomic status, and family environment. Screening for food security and psychosocial risk factors…
Injuries, other than abrasions, are rare in precruising infants. In this population, a history or observation of a sentinel skin injury, intraoral injury, or musculoskeletal injury without a plausible explanation,…
Helping parents change key behaviors may reduce the risk of child maltreatment. However, traditional provider-centered approaches to working with the parents of pediatric patients may increase resistance to behavioral change….
