Child abuse and maltreatment is not limited to a particular age—it can occur in the infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age years. Choose one of the four age groups and outline the types of abuse most commonly seen among children of that age. Describe warning signs and physical and emotional assessment findings the nurse may see that could indicate child abuse. Discuss cultural variations of health practices that can be misidentified as child abuse. Describe the reporting mechanism in your state and nurse responsibilities related to the reporting of suspected child abuse. Identify two factors that increase the vulnerability of a child for abuse in the age group you have selected.
There are several forms of child abuse. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies them under the term maltreatment, and it includes abuse that is physical, emotional, and sexual. It also includes negligence, neglect and exploitation that can be commercial in nature (World Health Organization, 2022).
The most common abuse for toddlers is that of neglect. As nurses we can watch for toddlers that are withdrawn and nervous along with not meeting milestones or potentially regressing on milestones reached as red flags that there is a potential issue emotionally with the child (Gonzalez, D., et al., 2022). Neglect includes many environmental deficiencies such as lack of food and water, not taking a child to needed healthcare appointments, not providing a safe place to live, and not maintain a child’s hygiene. Neglect is reported to be more prevalent in homes that are in the poverty line, homes where domestic violence occurs, and homes that have more than two children (Gonzalez, D., et al., 2022).
I reside in the state of Idaho and our main contact for reporting abuse is the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Once contacted and reported, a case is created, and a social worker is assigned. Follow-up is then completed by the assigned social worker for further investigation if warranted. We do have to be mindful as nurses when reporting potential abuse as there are many cultures that have different practices for health management. Cupping is one practice that can leave marks or bruising on the body that can be easily mistaken for physical abuse (Xun Lin., et al., 2018). Regardless of cultural practices, it is best to report any instance that could potentially be abuse as it is better to over report than under report.
References:
Gonzalez D, Bethencourt Mirabal A, McCall JD. (2022). Child Abuse and Neglect. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459146/
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. (n.d.). Report neglect, abuse and abandonment. https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/children-families/child-and-family-services-and-foster-care/reporting-neglect
World Health Organization. (2022). Responding to child maltreatment: A clinical handbook for health professionals. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/toolkit-on-mapping-legal-health-and-social-services-responses-to-child-maltreatment
Xun Lin, Hon Foong Wong, & Shih Chau Ng. (2018). Cupping, the past and present application. Chinese Medicine and Culture, 1(3), 121–126. https://doi-org/10.4103/CMAC.CMAC_37_18
Topic 2 DQ 2
Mar 20–24, 2023
Compare the physical assessment of a child to that of an adult. In addition to describing the similar/different aspects of the physical assessment, explain how the nurse would offer instruction during the assessment, how communication would be adapted to offer explanations, and what strategies the nurse would use to encourage engagement.
The post Compare the physical assessment of a child to that of an adult. In addition to describing the similar/different aspects of the physical assessment, first appeared on Ehomeworker.