[The pediatrician's role in the field of child maltreatment]

Pediatricians have a direct linkage towards child maltreatment. Certain health conditions are sometimes risk factors for abusive behavior or neglect towards children, moreover, injuries, certain diseases and development problems can be the direct results of child abuse and neglect. It is therefore important that child maltreatment will be considered as a major health problem by pediatricians. This article reviews a variety of professional tasks that pediatricians should undertake concerning the treatment of victims of child abuse and neglect in dealing with child maltreatment phenomena. The review includes a wide range of activities and responsibilities, beginning with the immediate and routine role of the diagnostician and healer, while identifying the unique emphases, which are the result of the nature of the trauma, through to the conventional actions of the pediatrician. In the case of child abuse and neglect, this role is significantly more important and requires more attention, such as the manner of conversing with the child and recording documentation. This may encompass numerous unconventional tasks such as being an expert witness in court and participating in committees, task forces and organizations to promote and spread knowledge and policy change.