Citation

Tanimura M, Matsui I, Kobayashi N. Acta Paediatr. Jpn. 1995; 37(2): 248-254.

Affiliation

Department of Child Ecology, National Children's Medical Research Center, Tokyo, Japan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

7793266

Abstract

A very high rate (43.0%) of low birth-weight (LBW) was shown in 331 abused/neglected cases reported from pediatric clinics of major hospitals in Japan. Of 87 LBW cases, 82.8% had medical problems and/or unsatisfactory reunion after non-home care and were abused at a particular age when each of the problems may have caused difficulties in caring. Two types of processes to abuse these intractable LBW were estimated: (i) abusers with psychiatric, mental problems or poor knowledge abused their children during the first 2 years, presumably because of an inability in child rearing; and (ii) abusers with neurosis or abnormal personality abused at ages over 2 years, complained of difficulties with rearing their children, and were suspected to be unable to cope with the difficulties. In both types, a combination of child and parental problems increased at risk. Obstetricians and neonatologists, who first encounter both high-risk mothers while pregnant and LBW, should give due care to the prevention of child abuse.

Language: en