Reference no: EM133684765

Determine whether you would report either of these hypothetical cases as child abuse:

1. Max's parents brought the 7-year-old to his pediatrician's office for an annual well-child exam. Max's two brothers, Sammy, 5 years old, and Henry, 8 years old, each drew on paper given to them by the staff while they waited quietly just outside the exam room. Neither of them made eye contact with the staff member who brought them the paper. Max's parent's shared that Max was healthy and had no health issues. During the examination, the pediatrician observed two linear bruises on Max's right palm and inside forearm. When the pediatrician asked Max what happened that caused the bruises, Max was silent and his father said that he used a belt to spank his buttocks, and Max had tried to block the belt with his hands. Max had no other bruises or injuries and was otherwise healthy. The pediatrician observed Max's development as age appropriate, but his parents reported that he was performing poorly in school.

2. Felipe and Sue brought their 19-month-old daughter, Alejandra, to the emergency room with burns on her lower torso, legs, and arms. Sue reported to the ER nurse that they had stepped outside to move a box into their garage, during which time Alejandra found her way into the bathroom, turned on the hot water, and climbed into the tub. During the examination, Sue stepped out of the exam room to check on her son, who was home and being watched by a neighbor. While Sue was out of the exam room, the ER physician came in and asked Felipe what happened. Felipe stated that Alejandra's 3-year-old brother turned on the water and pushed the child into the tub while the parents were moving a dresser to another part of their house. Felipe reported that they did not decide to bring Alejandra to the ER until several hours after Alejandra received the burns because they did not think the injured were serious.

Would you report either of the cases? Why or why not?