Health care providers should be alert to the clinical features associated with child maltreatment and associated risk factors and assess for child maltreatment without putting the child at increased risk.StatusMaintainedRecommended in favorConditionalCertainty of evidenceVery low
Health care providers should not use a universal screening approach (e.g. a standard instrument, set of criteria, or questions asked of all children in health care encounters) to identify possible child maltreatment.StatusUpdated
Health care providers should consider exposure to child maltreatment when assessing children with conditions that may be caused or complicated by maltreatment (see Boxes 1-6: Examples of clinical conditions associated with maltreatment and alerting features), in order to improve diagnosis/identification and subsequent care, without putting the child at increased risk.StatusMaintained
Written information on child maltreatment should be available in health-care settings in the form of posters, and pamphlets or leaflets (with appropriate warnings about taking them home in case that could compromise safety).StatusMaintained
Psychological debriefing should not be used in an attempt to reduce the risk of post-traumatic stress, anxiety or depressive symptoms.StatusMaintained
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) including with a trauma focus may be offered for children and adolescents who have been exposed to maltreatment and are diagnosed with PTSD.StatusMaintained
Evidence-based psychological interventions, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), may be offered to children and adolescents who have been exposed to maltreatment and are experiencing emotional disorders, and caregiver-skills training to their non-offending caregiversStatusMaintained
Evidence-based psychological interventions, such as cognitive behavioural therapy , may be offered to children and adolescents who have been exposed to maltreatment and are experiencing behavioural disordersStatusMaintained
Caregiver interventions that promote nurturing caregiver-child relationships, including through improved communication skills and direct coaching of parents while they are interacting with their children, may be considered.StatusUpdated