Tintinalli, MD Ruiz, MD McGraw Hill 1996 4. Child abuse encompasses a spectrum of abusive actions, from acts of commission, to lack of action or omission. Abuse can start even before the birth of the child, and can have adverse effects on the child. Such as maternal drug abuse and failure to seek appropriate prenatal health care during pregnancy. Child abuse is divided in its most basic forms, however each of these areas overlap into each other.
Single parent is the sole responsible care giver of a child.
Usually with little or no family or friends to assist them. They are lonely, did not plan their pregnancy, have little or no knowledge of child care and child development, and have unrealistic beleifs of child behavior. Other high risk parents are those where spousal abuse occurs in the home. Parent with limited education, or mentally handicapped parents who perceive what is normal child behavior as misbehaving and punish the child harshly. Mentally retarded children b.