A child left alone in a dirty apartment while his parent drinks sits in a bar drinking -- this is the sort of picture "neglect" often brings to mind. But child neglect can take many forms, some blatant, some so subtle as to be nearly undetectable. The American Medical Association (AMA) defines it as "an act or failure to act that results in serious harm or imminent risk of harm." The AMA categorizes neglect as one of the four major types of child abuse (along with physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse). Of the four types, it is also the most common. Parents may neglect children without wishing to, as do poor parents who don't have the money for nourishing food. And neglect spans class lines, as in the case of wealthy latchkey kids with parents too busy to provide steady love and affection.