Child Abuse Can Be Prevented

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 330-330
Author(s):  
Jules Rako

The article by Elmer (Pediatrics 59:273, February 1977) brings up some alarming findings. Children of low-income families, abused and nonabused controls, all had severe developmental lags. Drs. Cupoli and Newberger in thier commentary (Pediatrics 59:311, February 1977), are optimistic about these abused children because they see strength in the fact that the abused children had no greater developmental lag than the controls. I would like to be as optimistic as these workers in the field of child abuse, but as a practicing pediatrician I must confess that many of our low-income children are being denied access to pediatric care and must rely on fragmental health care, usually during crisis situations.

2009 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 143-143
Author(s):  
Gail McCain

IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, THE STATE CHILDREN’S HEALTH Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2009 was officially extended through 2013. SCHIP is a joint insurance program between the federal government and the states, which provides health insurance for low-income children and pregnant women who are not eligible for Medicaid. That is, states provide SCHIP for children in families with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($21,000 to $42,000 for a family of four). SCHIP currently provides health care insurance to approximately 7 million children who otherwise would not receive health care benefits.1 There are an additional 6 million children who are eligible, but not enrolled in either SCHIP or Medicaid.2 As more families face job loss and the associated loss of health insurance, SCHIP is even more important for the health and development of infants and children in low income families.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 1051-1051
Author(s):  
STUDENT

The proportion of children in the United States without private or public health insurance increased from roughly 13 percent to 18 percent between 1977 and 1987, according to a new study by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR). The growth in the proportion of uninsured children in poor and low-income families over the decade was even more dramatic—it rose from 21 percent to 31 percent.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 1069-1075
Author(s):  
Janet R. Serwint ◽  
Modena E. H. Wilson ◽  
Judith W. Vogelhut ◽  
John T. Repke ◽  
Henry M. Seidel

Background. Prenatal pediatric visits have been recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics to allow the pediatrician to counsel parents on infant care issues, establish a supportive relationship, and provide pediatric practice information to parents. We hypothesized that prenatal pediatric visits would have an impact on breastfeeding decisions, health care behaviors, health care utilization, and the doctor-patient relationship. Methods. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of prenatal pediatric visits for urban, low-income families to measure the impact on breastfeeding decisions, infant car safety seat use, circumcision, health maintenance, and emergency room visits and the pediatrician's perception that he/she would know the mother better. Pregnant women were recruited prenatally from the obstetrics clinic. Outcomes were measured by maternal interview prenatally and when the infant was 2 months old, in addition to review of the nursery record. Physicians were interviewed after the 2-month visit. Health care utilization was measured by chart review at 7 months. Results. A total of 156 pregnant women were enrolled and randomized, 81 to the intervention group and 75 to the control group. Of mothers who breastfed, 45% in the intervention group changed their mind in favor of breastfeeding after enrollment compared with 14% in the control group. Mothers in the intervention group compared with the control group were more likely to make fewer emergency room visits, 0.58 compared with 1.0. Pediatricians were more likely to think that they knew mothers in the intervention group well, 54% versus 29% in the control group, yet 67% of mothers in both groups agreed their pediatrician knew them well. There were no differences between groups in initiation or duration of breastfeeding at 30 or 60 days, infant car safety seat use, circumcision, or health maintenance visits. Conclusions. Prenatal pediatric visits have potential impact on a variety of health care outcomes. Among urban, low-income mothers, we found beneficial effects on breastfeeding decisions, a decrease in emergency department visits, and an initial impact on the doctor-patient relationship. We suggest urban practices actively promote prenatal pediatric visits.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1973 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 434-435
Author(s):  
Victor Eisner ◽  
Robert I. Sholtz

Pediatricians have long interested themselves in the health of juvenile delinquents. The Academy first appointed a Committee on Juvenile Delinquency in 1955. Although this Committee has changed its title to the Committee on Youth and has expanded its role to include other problems and concerns of young people, it still concerns itself with the health supervision of youth in detention facilities. It has now developed, with the endorsement of the National Council of Juvenile Court Judges, written standards for health care provided in juvenile court institutions.1 Juvenile delinquents come largely from low income families, and often from families with serious social problems.


1970 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 499-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
J J Alpert ◽  
J Kosa ◽  
R J Haggerty ◽  
L S Robertson ◽  
M C Heagarty

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