This week I had the privilege of caring for a one year old that was admitted for febrile seizures. He was having Tonic Clonic seizures and was in the PICU and then transferred to our floor. He was there with his mom, she was young but very attentive to him but his father who is a young Private in the Army came in with their 5 year old son and instantly started getting his computer set up to play video games. When I came back in to reassess their son who had spiked another fever to 103 the 5 year old son was watching the dad play Call of Duty. The patient was fussying and crying and the mom was having trouble holding him while I assessed him and gave him some medications. One would think the Dad would be concerned about his son, or at least helping the mother to hold him. Instead the 5 year old was asking his dad questions about the video game. Dad you shot him, he's dead. Oh you hurt him, Daddy did you kill the bad guy, Dad did you kill the bad guy? The son kept asking on and on, then finally the dad said he not the bad guy anymore now he's the good guy.
I finally said you know we have age appropriate videos for kids to rent here if you would like him to watch something more suitable. Geez, people! I think people just don't parent anymore. I used to believe things like this just happens because they are in the hospital, coping mechanism ect., now I know that what they do in the hospital is being done or worse at home.
http://drdavewalsh.com/posts/ask/27
We had several NAT admits (Non-accidental Trauma or child abuse work ups) over the holidays. The one that I had this week was a perfect one for this blog post. The young mother was called by CPS to bring her child to the ER because apparently while at a birthday party for a one year old another Mother noticed that her child was very small for her age and asked to change the infants diaper. When the mother did this the diaper was changed and the soiled infant was noted to be dirty and had a severe diaper rash and was reported to CPS for neglect when the mother had encouraged her to take her child to the doctor and felt that she would not seek medical advice. This all at a one year olds Birthday party. I am sure there will be some drama at their next play dates.
When the mother was admitted to our unit for assessing the concerns the mother was clearly upset and worried that her child was going to be taken from them. They also had an older child. The parents had missed her 2 month appointment and the baby had significant weight loss. In telling of how they were contacted by CPS she was so angry about this other mother reporting her that she said, I can't believe she even has the right to judge me she was smoking pot in the bedroom and when her son kept coming in she yelled and spanked him to get him to stay out of the room." I said, " So you all were smoking pot ( Now legal in Washington State) at a one year old's birthday party? She said no I wasn't, I just smoke cigarettes (yeah I am sure you do) but yes the other mom's and her (the reporter) were smoking pot.
Have you ever seen that show Police Woman of Broward CO? I am not big into watching these shows but it is so sad how many busts are made while people have their children with them in drug deals.
