In the twentieth century, government assumed increasing
responsibility for the maintenance of poor families, first
with the establishment of Mothers' Pensions and later Aid to
Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). In keeping with
the same spirit that had infused the provision of colonial
outdoor relief, conformity with moral standards of behavior
was exacted from the recipients in exchange for relief.
Maternal sexual activity outside of marriage, rather than
alcohol or drug use, was a frequently cited reason for
exclusion from AFDC or child removal.21,22
In the 1960s, following Kempe's identification of "the
battered child syndrome," medicine claimed the terrain of
child abuse as its own. Legal codification followed and now
all states have mandatory reporting statutes for human
service workers. Since the medical model is essentially a
therapeutic one, a diagnosis of child neglect is intended to
lead to the provision of rehabilitative services for the family
in order to further the best interests of the child.23
Although the detection and treatment of child abuse and
neglect cases has become a specialized field of expertise
within pediatrics, many physicians have been ambivalent
about mandatory reporting of suspected cases by health care
providers. This ambivalence stems from skepticism that state
intervention can succeed in assisting children of families.24 It
also reflects concern about violation of the standard of
physician-patient confidentiality for both ethical and practical
reasons. The accurate and complete patient history
necessary for the provision of optimal medical care is less
likely to be obtainable if confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.
This can be seen clearly in the case of drug use by a
pregnant woman in those states where parental drug use is
equated with neglect. Providing an accurate history to the
obstetrician or neonatologist will lead to child neglect charges
and threatened loss of custody of her baby. Anecdotal data
suggest that fear of these responses is deterring such women
from seeking prenatal care or from giving accurate drug
histories when they do.
In the twentieth century, government assumed increasingresponsibility for the maintenance of poor families, firstwith the establishment of Mothers' Pensions and later Aid toFamilies with Dependent Children (AFDC). In keeping withthe same spirit that had infused the provision of colonialoutdoor relief, conformity with moral standards of behaviorwas exacted from the recipients in exchange for relief.Maternal sexual activity outside of marriage, rather thanalcohol or drug use, was a frequently cited reason forexclusion from AFDC or child removal.21,22In the 1960s, following Kempe's identification of "thebattered child syndrome," medicine claimed the terrain ofchild abuse as its own. Legal codification followed and nowall states have mandatory reporting statutes for humanservice workers. Since the medical model is essentially atherapeutic one, a diagnosis of child neglect is intended tolead to the provision of rehabilitative services for the familyin order to further the best interests of the child.23Although the detection and treatment of child abuse andneglect cases has become a specialized field of expertisewithin pediatrics, many physicians have been ambivalentabout mandatory reporting of suspected cases by health careproviders. This ambivalence stems from skepticism that stateintervention can succeed in assisting children of families.24 Italso reflects concern about violation of the standard ofphysician-patient confidentiality for both ethical and practicalreasons. The accurate and complete patient historynecessary for the provision of optimal medical care is lesslikely to be obtainable if confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.This can be seen clearly in the case of drug use by apregnant woman in those states where parental drug use isequated with neglect. Providing an accurate history to theobstetrician or neonatologist will lead to child neglect chargesand threatened loss of custody of her baby. Anecdotal datasuggest that fear of these responses is deterring such womenfrom seeking prenatal care or from giving accurate drughistories when they do.
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