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A Home-Like Setting and a Multidisciplinary Team in the Care of Kidnapped Children: A Retrospective Descriptive Study
Efrat Bron-Harlev1,2, Lotem Goldberg2,3, Omer Niv1,2
1Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Israel.
Insights
Children returning from captivity need specialized care. A hospital developed an innovative protocol and home-like environment to support their reintegration, with returnees reporting high satisfaction with the care received.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric care
- Trauma recovery
- Child psychology
Background:
- Limited data exists on managing children after captivity.
- Hamas conflict resulted in the kidnapping of 257 Israelis, including 38 children.
- Children and women were released after 49-54 days of captivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe hospital preparation and assessment protocols for children returning from captivity.
- To outline an innovative approach for managing child returnees.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective descriptive study of 26 hospitalised returnees (11 children, 8 adolescents, 7 adults).
- Hospitalisation occurred at Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel from Nov 24-Dec 7, 2023.
- Focus on a dedicated ward, multidisciplinary team, and protected examination areas.
Main Results:
- Median hospitalisation was 4 days.
- A home-like environment was created with dedicated rooms, new clothing, and hygiene products.
- Returnees reported satisfaction with physical conditions, integrated treatment, and education.
Conclusions:
- Children returning from captivity require specialized, multidisciplinary care.
- A supportive, home-like environment aids in the reintegration of child returnees.
- An innovative protocol was developed for evaluation and future treatment guidelines.
Aim:
In October 2023, Hamas kidnapped 257 Israelis, including 38 children. Most of the children and some of the women were released after 49-54 days. Data or protocols for managing children returning from captivity are scarce. We describe how our hospital prepared for, and assessed children returning from captivity.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of all returnees hospitalised at Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, during 24 November-7 December 2023.
Results:
Twenty-six returnees were admitted, comprising 11 children, eight adolescents and seven adults. Median hospitalisation period was 4 days. Returnees were hospitalised in a dedicated ward, with two pre-assigned rooms per family and equipped with new clothes and hygiene products in order to create a home-like environment. A multidisciplinary team was established along with a well-equipped educational centre. Examinations and treatments were conducted in a protected area to reduce external exposure. An innovative protocol was prepared in advance for evaluation and guidelines for future treatment. All returnees reported satisfaction with the physical conditions, integrated treatment and education received at our medical centre.
Conclusion:
Children returning from captivity require specialised care. A multidisciplinary approach and a supportive home-like environment may facilitate their reintegration into daily life.
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