Pediatricians are provided with guidance on preventing child maltreatment to support relational health and long-term well-being.
- Recommendations were provided in a clinical report to clarify the pediatrician’s role in preventing child maltreatment and mitigating long-term sequelae.
- Pediatricians should obtain thorough social histories, identify family resilience and protective factors, and provide anticipatory guidance to prevent child maltreatment.
- It is crucial for pediatricians to address parents’ concerns, reinforce effective parenting, and encourage alternatives to corporal punishment.
- Pediatricians need to be attentive to signs of maltreatment in children with disabilities or chronic illnesses, as well as indicators of parental intimate partner violence, substance use, and depression.
- Trauma-informed, family-centered pediatric care can help prevent child maltreatment and build resilience through anticipatory guidance and regular follow-up.
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Pediatrics, Public Health & Prevention