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Child abuse: an underestimated health problem? A case report from Cameroon
Félicitée Nguefack1, Désiré Mbassi Awa2, Roger Dongmo3
1Faculté de médecine et des sciences biomédicales, Université de Yaoundé I, BP: 1364, Yaoundé, Cameroun, Hôpital gynéco-obstétrique et pédiatrique de Yaoundé, Cameroun.
Insights
Child abuse, including physical trauma, is often underestimated due to misdiagnosed symptoms. Healthcare providers need better training to recognize signs of child abuse for timely diagnosis and intervention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Child Health
- Trauma Care
Background:
- Physical abuse of children encompasses various forms like shaking, beating, burning, or cutting.
- The underestimation of child abuse incidence globally is linked to misinterpretation of clinical signs.
Observation:
- A three-year-old boy in Cameroon was misdiagnosed with severe malaria and meningitis due to neurological signs.
- Diagnosis of child abuse was delayed by six weeks, confirmed by skull and leg fractures on imaging.
Findings:
- Delayed diagnosis of child abuse can occur when clinical signs are misinterpreted.
- Imaging studies are crucial for confirming fractures indicative of physical abuse.
Implications:
- Child abuse recognition is insufficient in many healthcare settings.
- Enhanced training for healthcare professionals is vital for identifying and managing child abuse cases effectively.
Abstract:
Physical abuse of children can be of varying nature. Children can be shaken, beaten, burnt, or cut by their parents or guardians. The incidence of trauma inflicted on children is underestimated in many countries, probably because clinical signs are misjudged, as this case report shows. This three-year-old boy was seen in several health facilities of Yaounde, Cameroon. He was treated erroneously for severe malaria and then for meningitis because he presented with neurologic signs, before the diagnosis of child abuse was made. This was confirmed after an imaging work-up revealed fractures of the skull and the leg. The diagnosis was therefore delayed by at least six weeks from the date of the first consultation. This case report demonstrates that child abuse is not well known in our environment, and it is therefore crucial to train those who provide health care to children to recognize it.