ABP Child Abuse Pediatrics study guide
ABP Child Abuse Pediatrics · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Child Abuse Pediatrics is an American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) subspecialty certification. It is designed for physicians who have already earned general pediatrics certification and completed accredited subspecialty fellowship training in the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of child maltreatment. The exam assesses the breadth of that subspecialty practice: recognition and medical workup of physical abuse, including abusive head trauma and cutaneous and skeletal injuries; evaluation of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and anogenital findings; neglect in its physical, supervisory, and medical forms, including growth faltering; psychological maltreatment and factitious disorder imposed on another; and the forensic and multidisciplinary dimensions of the work, such as reporting obligations, collaboration with child protective services, legal proceedings, and prevention and advocacy. Preparation is best built on the ABP subspecialty content outline, a structured review of each content domain, and deliberate practice with case-based questions that mirror the reasoning the exam rewards: generating a differential, choosing the next test, interpreting findings in developmental context, and knowing when and how to report. The ABP Child Abuse Pediatrics study guide has 5 sections and about 1,473 words.
01Physical Abuse: Cutaneous, Skeletal, and Abusive Head Trauma
Physical abuse is diagnosed when the injury pattern, the stated mechanism, and the child's developmental stage cannot be reconciled. The history may be absent, vague, changing, or may blame a minor fall for severe injury.
303 words, about 2 min02Sexual Abuse, Exploitation, and Anogenital Findings
Most sexually abused children never disclose in childhood, and disclosure is often delayed, partial, or recanted. Grooming - special attention, boundary erosion, secrecy - is a key concept.
288 words, about 1 min03Neglect: Physical, Supervisory, Medical, and Growth Faltering
Neglect is the failure to meet a child's basic needs: food, shelter, clothing, hygiene, supervision, medical and dental care, education, and emotional responsiveness. It is the most common and most lethal form of maltreatment, and it is chronic rather than a single event.
289 words, about 1 min04Psychological Maltreatment and Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another
Psychological maltreatment includes spurning, terrorizing, isolating, exploiting or corrupting, denying emotional responsiveness, and failing to provide mental health, medical, or educational support. It is often chronic and invisible; effects include attachment disorders, poor self-regulation, and developmental delay.
295 words, about 1 min05Forensic and Multidisciplinary Practice: Reporting, Legal Proceedings, and Prevention
Clinicians report when they have reasonable suspicion of abuse or neglect - not proof. Good-faith reports are legally protected; failure to report is a crime.
298 words, about 1 min