Child maltreatment: detection and intervention

The prevalence of child maltreatment is high and it represents the second death reason in the first five years of life when the neonatal period is excluded. Some risk factors exist that must alert us about a possible maltreatment situation. The absence of a child maltreatment protocol and the unknowledge about the management of these situations by the physicians, make that these cases of suspected maltreatment don?t progress and be lost. In a maltreatment case, the identification and the intervention must be quick. The physician attitude must be active and the authority informed of the child abuse situation, to take the best attitudes for their protection. If the physician is aware of these cases and ultimate consequences are taken, always in benefit for the child, our objective will be obtained.