CHILD
ABUSE
WHO Definition
❑ It is form of physical and/or
emotional ill treatment, sexual
abuse ,neglect , commercial
or potential or other
exploitation resulting in actual
or potential harm to the
child's health, survival and
development.
❑ Child labor and trafficking are
worst kind of child abuse.
TYPES
Physical Sexual Emotional
Neglect
Abuse Abuse Abuse
Major Types of Child Abuse
Neglect: Failure of
Physical Abuse: act of guardian to provide :
Emotional Abuse: failure of
commission by caregiver Sexual Abuse: acts where Health, Education,
caregiver to provide an
that cause actual physical caregiver use child for Nutrition, Shelter, Safe living
appropriate and
harm or have potential for sexual gratification condition… where
supportive environment
harm reasonable resources are
available.
❑ Child’s gender
❑ Domestic violence
❑ Child has physical and mental
handicapped
Causes of Child ❑ Parents with low self confidence and
Abuse lower income.
❑ Parents suffering from depression,
mentally handicapped.
❑ Parents having unrealistic expectations
for their child.
Features of Child Abuse:
Unexplained bruises and welts at various stages of healing
Multiple fractures at different stages of healing
Unexplained burns
Sexual Abuse : infections, genital injuries, abdominal pain, recurrent UTI, behavioral
problem
Neglect: failure to thrive, lack of education, immunization etc.
Shaken Baby Syndrome:
❑ Triad
➢ Retinal detachment
➢ Encephalopathy
➢ Subdural hemorrhage.
❑ Features
➢ May die
➢ Survivor may suffer mental retardation, cerebral palsy or blindness.
Battered baby syndrome
❑ Repetitive physical injuries produce by parent or guardian
❑ Features
➢ Delay in medical attention
➢ Injuries inconsistent with history.
➢ Multiple injuries with different ages.
❑ Seen in
➢ Unwanted child, unmarried couple
Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy
Induced: asphyxia,
Parent fabricates Child may be
hypoglycemia,
illness in child to brought to hospital
vomiting and
gain attention repeatedly
diarrhea.
Investigation
❑ Physical examination
➢ Bruises
➢ Burns
➢ Swelling
➢ Retinal haemorrhage
➢ Fracture of long bones
➢ Internal damage such as bleeding or rupture of an organ
Investigation
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
Investigation
❑ X rays and another
imaging technique
such as MRI or scans
may confirm other
internal injuries.
❑ Presence of injuries at
different stages of
healing is nearly
indicative of child
abuse
❑ Medical treatment for battered
syndrome will vary according to type of
injury
❑ Counselling and implementation of an
Management intervention plan for child’s parent
❑ Abused child removed from home to
prevent further harm
❑ Both physical and psychological therapy
often recommended.
Management
❑ Physical care
➢ Abused victim often
required physical
nursing care this may
include wound
cleaning, dressing.
➢ If injuries are severe,
the patient may need
surgery and nursing
care.
➢ The nurse might
provide medications
for pain
Management
Emotional Support:
The empathetic nurse can help provide emotional support by listening and
allowing patient to express whatever they feel.
Children may respond to gift and can confined all the bad things that have
happened to them.
The older adult may be ashamed to admit that her children are abusing her.
Strategies To Reduce
Child Abuse
❑ Child abuse and neglect should be placed on
national agenda both as social and public health
problem.
❑ Laws should be enforced.
❑ Child labor cannot be abolished in presence of
abject poverty however government should
make sure that working child is not exploited.
❑ In rural areas panchayat officials should be given
responsibilities.
❑ Pediatricians can play major role by recognizing,
responding to and reporting child abuse.
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
❑ Act passed by the federal government in 1974 and
reauthorized in 2010.
❑ Act provides federal funding to states in support of
prevention, assessment, investigation and treatment
activities and intended to keep them free from all
forms of abuse.
THANK YOU
