ABSTRACT
Parental substance misuse and abuse pose significant public health challenges, potentially impacting minors across all developmental stages from pregnancy to adolescence. Such issues can result in medical, psychiatric, and behavioral disorders, along with an elevated risk of child abuse. In Switzerland, around 100 000 children and adolescents live with a parent facing substance abuse. This article aims to succinctly outline the effects of parental substance abuse on children and propose effective intervention strategies and relevant resources for professionals. The goal is to enable the detection of such situations, offer appropriate support, and prevent adverse consequences on the development and health of children and adolescents.
La consommation à risque de substances chez un parent est un enjeu majeur de santé publique, avec des répercussions possibles sur la santé des mineur-e-s à toutes les étapes de leur développement, de la grossesse à l'adolescence, et pouvant entraîner des troubles médicaux, psychiatriques et comportementaux, ainsi qu'un risque accru de maltraitance. Environ 100 000 enfants vivent avec un parent consommateur en Suisse. Cet article synthétise les effets des addictions parentales sur les enfants et adolescent-e-s et propose des pistes d'interventions et des ressources pertinentes pour les professionnel-le-s, pour détecter ces situations, offrir un soutien adéquat et ainsi prévenir les conséquences négatives sur le développement et la santé des enfants et adolescent-e-s.
Subject(s)
Child Abuse , Substance-Related Disorders , Adolescent , Humans , Child , Substance-Related Disorders/diagnosis , Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Substance-Related Disorders/psychology , Parents/psychology , Switzerland/epidemiologyABSTRACT
In infants, the causes of acute repetitive vomiting and severely altered-consciousness status include a broad differential diagnosis, that is, primarly sepsis, infectious gastroenteritis, head injury, and intoxication, as well as neurologic, metabolic, and cardiologic condition diseases. In patients developing such symptoms, allergy as an etiological cause is often not considered by primary care physicians. With this case report, we aim to draw the attention of general pediatricians, emergency physicians, and intensivists to the fact that non-immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergic gastrointestinal disorders such as food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome should be considered in patients with sepsis-like symptoms.
Subject(s)
Consciousness Disorders/etiology , Dietary Proteins/immunology , Enterocolitis/diagnosis , Food Hypersensitivity/diagnosis , Vomiting/etiology , Diagnosis, Differential , Enterocolitis/etiology , Humans , Infant , MaleABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To describe alcohol and tobacco consumption during pregnancy in women giving birth in a public hospital in Geneva, to evaluate risk factors related to these consumptions and to explore the influence of close relatives on the consumption habits of pregnant women. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey after delivery in 207 women in the maternity ward of the Geneva University Hospitals in 2008. We used retrospective self-reports of smoking during pregnancy (including temporary smoking), smoking during the entire pregnancy and alcohol drinking during pregnancy (even a single glass). RESULTS: The proportion of smokers decreased from 31.2% before pregnancy to 21.7% during pregnancy (temporary smoking included), and 9.2% of women smoked continuously until delivery. Major factors associated with tobacco use were living alone, living with a smoker and tobacco consumption of the husband/partner in the presence of the pregnant woman. Regarding alcohol consumption, 62.7% of the participants reported drinking (even occasionally) before pregnancy, and 36.3% of the women drank at least one glass of alcohol during pregnancy. The alcohol consumption of the husband/partner and invitations to drink from other people were associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Among women delivering in a public hospital, tobacco and alcohol consumption during pregnancy was important and significantly influenced by the habits and attitude of close relatives. The involvement of relatives in health promotion interventions should be addressed.
