Comments on: NOW You Tell Me

By: Lisa K.

Lisa K. — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 14:23:12 +0000

The accusation of child abuse is devasting when it is not true. The experience of being abused as a child is more devastating particularly when no one believes it is happening. Child protective services exists to protect the welfare of children. It is hardly taking away valuable resources to ask them to fulfill their primary mission.

That said I agree that going limp in the face of trauma is hardly a classic presentation of child abuse and that suspicion or lack thereof would rest much more strongly on the plausibility of the story of the accident.

By: GCS 15

GCS 15 — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 23:45:45 +0000

Not necessarily and kids do the oddest things. If you look online there are even infants/kids who hold their breath to the point of going limp and blue during a tantrum or when they are upset. It’s surprisingly not harmful and more common then you’d think.

My own daughter is almost bald on one side of her head because she pulls it out while falling asleep. I don’t know how ripping hair out is soothing , but to her it is (I try to stop her and she won’t sleep, or rips my hair out ). Another surprisingly common problem.

Kids are more resilient then adults, and I don’t think the answer should be to jump to child abuse. One, it could be devestating if unfounded and two, it takes away resources from already stretched thin agencies.

By: Xsurgerdoc

Xsurgerdoc — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 15:03:59 +0000

The data indicates a 3-fold increase in brain CA at 10 years post-CT, or about an extra 1/10,000. 5 times higher with 5 CTs?? Now what? Informed consent before Head CTs in all kids? What about adults? Not a CYA issue in states with a med/mal statute of limitations, but what about a moral issue. In the clinically not indicated, but parent demand situations, I confront them with the data and you would be amazed at the change in attitude toward a “watch and wait ” attitude. A move toward guidelines in the no LOC neuro normal patient? Is size and location of a lac significant? Is cost an issue? ???

By: Lisa K.

Lisa K. — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:53:03 +0000

I’m neither a parent nor a trained medical professional but wouldn’t this history raise other red flags? Some chronic neurological problem? Child abuse? How likely is it that a healthy three year old would voluntarily choose not to respond to painful stimuli?

By: SeaSpray

SeaSpray — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 00:49:18 +0000

I would think the parents would’ve spoken up when they new she was going to get a CT. ?

Well …at least she’s alright.

Interesting that she behaves that way.