ABSTRACT
Child abuse has emerged in the past twenty-five years as a visible and important social, physical and mental health concern. We have tried to present some general approaches of the phenomenon: our goals are to protect the interest of the child and to develop help for the abusing parents, through crisis interventions and long-term coordination with the medico-social network.
Subject(s)
Child Abuse/prevention & control , Child Advocacy , Patient Care Team , Belgium , Child , Child Abuse/legislation & jurisprudence , Child, Preschool , Crisis Intervention , Humans , Infant , Parents/psychologyABSTRACT
The authors report the preliminary result of an integrated approach to the primary prevention of the child abuse syndrome. The problem has been approached through a new concept of prenatal and postnatal care, the obstetrical team working in close cooperation with the child psychiatrist of the department of pediatrics. The obstetrical team followed 91 patients during their pregnancy; they were all discussed at supervisory sessions. This permitted a gynaecologist and a social nurse to develop a therapeutic plan for 72 patients. For the 19 more problematic cases, the child psychiatrist intervened immediately in the surroundings of the antenatal clinic. Short, specific psychotherapeutic interventions based on the alleviation of a family crisis have remedied important stress situations. The favourable influence of this new methodology has led to: (1) reduction of a potentially high expected prematurity rate; (2) improved integration of out-patient and in-patient care; (3) improved adaptation of the health staff to this type of situation. A case example to illustrate the functioning of both teams is given.
