Evening star., 1961-10-04

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pediatrics at the University OF
In an address here yesterds
of Pediatrics, he suggested the
Public Health Service add "the
battered child syndrome" to its
mandatory reporting list of
diseases.
The disease" isn't reportable
at present. DR.. Kempe declared,
but it ought to be. 1t kills
many more than measles or
chicken pox," he told some
1000 pediatricians and asso-
ciates attending the academy's
30th annual meeting.
Surveys Cited
DR.. Kempe spoke on a panel
discussing two recent surveys
which showed that many de-
fenseless infants, mostly under
the age of 2, are being beaten,
mutilated, tortured and re-
jected psychologically by their
parents or custodians through
out the Nation.
With DIR. Kempe twere DR.,
Brandt Steele, associate pro-
fessor of psychiatry at the
University of Colorado; Gin
cinnati juvenile Court Judge
Benjamin S. Schwartz; John F.
Horty. director of the Univer-
sity of Pittsburgh's Health-Law
Center, and Miss Elizabeth
Elmer, assistant professor of
social casework at the Univer-
sity of Pittsburgh.
The panel was moderated by
DR.. Frederic N. Silverman, as
sociate professor of pediatrics
and radiology at the University
of Cincinnati's College of Medi-
cine.
The group cited two surveys
made last year with returns
from II hospitals and II dis
trict attorneys. The hospital
survey showed 3o2 cases of
brutal mistreatment, of which
33 children died and IS suf-
fered permanent brain in
juries.
The second survey showed
447 cases. of which As died and
29 suffered permanent brain
injuries. Only 80 per cent of
the first group of cases were
taken to court and only As per
cent of the second group. There
was some overlapping by the
two surveys.
More Cases Indicated
DR.. Kempe declared that the
incidence of severe mistreat-
ment, which he calls the bat
tered child syndrome," may
we'll approach 10 times that of
the two surveys.
DR.. Silverman said many
cases of mistreatment are
picked up by the hospital radi-
ologist when he reads routine
X-rays. He cited cases where
children have been brought to
the hospital for medical reasons
and routine X-rays showed as
many as five fractures that had
been left unattended.
The case of one infant less
than 2 years old was cited. She
was brought to the hospital for
a chest condition and doctors
noticed one arm was misshapen.
X-rays Of all limbs were taken
and five fractures we're found.
1t developed that whenever
the alcoholic father came home
he beat the deaf mute mother,
who in turn would take out her
anger by making another break
in another one of the infants
limbs.
Where" asked DR.. Kempe,
docs discipline end and assault
begin?"
He pointed out that the sur
veys showed a high incidence
of mistreatment among mill
tary and higher-income groups.
Some COverup
These groups. he said, are
quicker to call on physicians to
help the mistreated children
but are also more likely to ask
their private doctors to cover
up for them.
DR.. Kempe said that "in
many areas the community
virtually grants immunity to a
parent who beats or kills a very
young child" The child is
protected until he is born. he
said, but then the law which
should offer protection fails
until the child is Old enough
to run.
There's the feeling that a
mans home is his castle among
law enforcement people and
that parents can raise their
children as they wish because
the infants are personal prop
erty," ne said.
People are reluctant to think
an adult would deliberately hurt
a child, DR.. Steele said. For
example. doctors just generally
seem to refuse to believe a
parent would deliberately scald
an infant. But everyone has a
temper sometimes. It's unfortu-
nate that the tempers of some