Citation

Tanimura M, Matsui I, Kobayashi N. Pediatr. Int. 1995; 37(2): 255-261.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Japan Pediatric Society, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1442-200X.1995.tb03310.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Child abuse of 126 non‐low birth‐weight (non‐LBW) cases reported front pediatric clinics of major hospitals in Japan in 1986 were examined. Compared to LBW infants abused children's medical problems were few (25.4%) but the presence of step‐parents and a history of rearing outside the home were evident (41.3%).

The abuse of a child with medical problems by real parents showed similar characteristics to abuse of LBW, occurring at 0–1 and 4 years and two types of abuser's problems were apparent; one problem was the lack of child rearing ability and the other was the inability to cope with the stress involved in child rearing. In abuse of a child by step‐parents, most abusers expressed emotional problems with their abused children. Child abuse by a real parent following a period of non‐home care occurred soon after the child returned home, and abusers complained that the abused child did not take to its real parents. Abuse of a child without medical problems by real parents occurred at or around birth and indicated a poor ability to rear a child due to parental problems or low tolerance to cope with child rearing. Abuse both of a child and siblings by real parents implied a deficiency of understanding and inability in child rearing due to parental problems that may have resulted in abuse of the children at 0–1 year.

It seems that two processes are critical in non‐LBW child abuse as well as LBW child abuse. Namely, an inability of parents to raise children and an inability to cope with the problem of their children, especially as a result of communication problems. It is important to detect risk factors for disturbing parent‐child communication at an early stage and attempt to improve it.