Pediatria pre prax 1/2009

Child abuse and neglect – minimum for primary care pediatrician

Child abuse and neglect syndrome is a form of abusive and violent handling against child who is incapable to resist the aggressor itself. As CAN occurs behind the closed doors, the actual number of not diagnosed CAN cases remains unknown. To reduce this dark number, the pediatricians in the primary care should have basic knowledge of CAN manifestations and clinical findings frequently associated with CAN. Only the physicians who do know what signs may indicate the CAN may eventually set the diagnosis of CAN, alert the authorities and eventually save innocent victim.

Keywords: child abuse, domestic violence, abuse reporting.