Barbara W. Boat, Cinnamon A. Dixon, Erica Pearl, Lacey Thieken and Sarah E. Bucher. 2012. Pediatric Dog Bite Victims: A Need for a Continuum of Care. Clincal Pediatrics. 51: 473-477.
Abstract: The authors assessed the ongoing needs of 34 pediatric dog bite victims and their families 1 month after receiving care in a pediatric emergency department. More than 70% of the parents noted at least 1 new concerning behavior in their children, and more than 85% of the parents also endorsed concerns about their own reactions. Half of the parents believed that children, in general, might benefit from interventions to help with postbite fears and nearly three quarters felt that families would benefit from education regarding dog bite prevention. The majority (85%) of the parents believed that additional supportive services could be offered effectively at emergency department or pediatric office/clinic visits. A template for a dog bite information card is presented.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the majority of child dog bite victims and their parents in our study experienced changes in behavior and additional stress in their lives after the incident. Furthermore, these parents expressed a need for additional supportive services and a desire for prevention education related to this topic. Thus, we advocate that child dog bite victims and their parents may benefit from a continuum of care after these injuries and that dog bite prevention education should be an integral part of any child safety discussion with families.
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