By Josh Simeone J.Simeone@krdo.com
Follow me on Twitter at: www.Twitter.com/joshsimeone
EL PASO COUNTY – Often times, it’s the emergency room doctors and nurses who are the first ones to see some of the county’s most severe child abuse cases.
In 2008 alone, there were more than 11,000 cases of child abuse reported in El Paso County, more than in any other county in the state.
At the Memorial Hospital emergency room near downtown Colorado Springs, nurses and doctors have already seen seven child abuse related deaths thus far in 2009. Hospital trauma outreach and injury prevention specialist Sally Duncan says the number of deaths thus far is an alarming increase over last year’s numbers.
In 2008, the ER saw three child abuse related deaths. In 2007, Duncan says there was only one child abuse related death.
Duncan says hospital emergency room workers are trained to look for signs when parents bring in an injured infant. Doctors and nurses pay close attention to the type of injury and how it is described to have happened.
Between January and March, Duncan says the hospital tends to see an increased number of child abuse cases come into the emergency room. In August of this year, the hospital’s trauma team decided to deal with the growing problem head on, by creating a program that works with new parents from the very start.
“Every single child and their family when they first come,” Duncan said.
The program starts for new parents after their newborn is delivered. Parents meet with a nurse and are given information on how to handle stress, along with other tips for new parents.
The program is meant to deal with the problem before it becomes one, and hospital administrators are interested to see how it fairs within just three months in.
While the program is available to new parents, the hospital also offers a 24-hour hotline that other parents can call if they need help through "KPC Kids’ Place."
If you or someone you know needs help, you can call: (719) 634-5439.
