Preventing Childhood Trauma: How Healthcare Professionals Can Help

Children who have experienced maltreatment may have their pain under-recognized and undertreated by healthcare professionals, putting them at risk of negative outcomes. A study involving 108 healthcare professionals found that their knowledge of pediatric pain did not necessarily translate to their pain assessment and management practices. However, those who had general pain knowledge were more likely to have maltreatment-specific pain knowledge. Healthcare professionals were generally aware of the impact of child maltreatment on pediatric pain and those who considered a history of maltreatment were more likely to use sensitive questioning strategies when asking children about their pain.