MEDICAL SURFARI: NEGLECT IS MOST COMMON FORM OF CHILD ABUSE

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Friday, April 3, 1998

Parental care and all that it implies is part of mammalian biology. This, in part, is what distinguishes mammals from the rest of the animal kingdom. The converse of care is abuse and neglect. I cannot help but wonder what brings about this type of behavior among our species. Abuse and neglect is not common among the rest of the animal kingdom but, when neglect occurs, it is usually the result of illness and/or stress that is more that the animal can manage. Sadly, deliberate abuse and neglect of offspring seems to occur only among our species.

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