A Practical Guide to the Evaluation of Child Physical Abuse and Neglect / Edition 2

by Angelo P. Giardino, Michelle A. Lyn, Eileen R. Giardino

Overview

As we near the 50th anniversary of the landmark article by C. Henry Kempe and his colleagues entitled “The Battered Child Syndrome”, which ushered in the modern era of professional attention by pediatricians and other child health professionals, we have reason for both celebration and concern. We can take heart that over the recent ve decades, a great deal of professional attention focused on the problem of child abuse and neglect. In every state of the country, there are mandatory repo- ing laws that require nurses, physicians, and social workers to report suspicions of maltreatment to the appropriate authorities for investigation. The act of repo- ing provides legal immunity to the reporter except when performed in bad faith. Progress in understanding the factors that place children at risk for harm from ph- ical abuse and neglect now permits prevention and intervention. The peer-reviewed literature dealing with child abuse and neglect has proliferated with high quality work being done and reported on the many dimensions related to the epidemi- ogy, mechanism, treatment, and prognosis of child maltreatment. Efforts are being directed toward developing an evidence-based approach to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. These are some of the positives. However, negatives exist and remain reasons for concern. Despite a tremendous amount of attention to the pr- lem of maltreatment, there are at least 3 million reports of suspected child abuse and neglect made annually, with nearly 1 million cases being substantiated.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781489982940
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	11/29/2014
Edition description:	Second Edition 2009
Pages:	513
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.04(d)

About the Author

Angelo P. Giardino is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine. He is also Medical Director of Texas Children's Health Plan, Inc.

Table of Contents

Child Abuse as a Health Problem.- Introduction: Child Abuse and Neglect.- Evaluation of Physical Abuse and Neglect.- Specific Injuries.- Skin Injury: Bruises and Burns.- Fractures and Skeletal Injuries.- Abdominal and Thoracic Trauma.- Abusive Head Trauma.- Neglect and Failure to Thrive.- Medical Child Abuse.- Other Patterns of Injury and Child Fatality.- Related Issues.- Maltreatment of Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs.- Intimate Partner Violence.- Prevention of Child Physical Abuse.- Teamwork.- Multidisciplinary Teams.- Psychosocial Assessment of Alleged Victims of Child Maltreatment.- Legal Issues and Documentation.- Mental Health Issues: Child Physical Abuse and Neglect.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews of the second edition:

“This second and enlarged edition discusses the important and universal problem related to the main theme. … With many illustrations. … For all pediatricians, public health workers, child health and school personnel, child psychologists and psychiatrists.” (Pediatric Endocrinology Reviews, Vol. 8 (2), December, 2010)

From the Publisher

Reviewer: Jane F. Knapp, MD (Children's Mercy Hospital)
Description: This concise new book provides a practical guide to those who must navigate the difficult waters of involvement with children who are victims of physical abuse and neglect. It is largely the work of the authors, with a few chapters contributed by experts in specific areas.
Purpose: The purpose is to serve as a resource for health professionals to increase knowledge of physical abuse and neglect, provide easy access to basic information, and serve as a framework for evaluation.
Audience: The audience is rather broad because the book is intended not only for physicians but other health professionals who work with abused and neglected children. There is also great potential for use, as the authors intended, by professionals in law, law enforcement, and child protection who may have no or limited background in physical abuse and neglect. The authors are experts in their field who bring great sensitivity, objectivity, and understanding of pertinent difficult issues to this work.
Features: The color pictures are excellent and one of the book's strongest features. Otherwise flawless graphics are marred somewhat by the difficult sideways orientation of the abdominal CT scans and an upside down placement of a radiograph depicting a vertebral injury. The extensive charts and diagrams that provide important reference information and examples of commonly needed forms are helpful and give this book the edge over others with similar purpose.
Assessment: This is a book with wide appeal. It is beautifully done and will be useful to those who need a quick reference and pertinent up-to-date background information. For those who need a more in-depth discussion, the extensive references are important. It is an important addition to the library of those who care for abused and neglected children.

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