Kontakt 2012, 14(3):269-275 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2012.030

Preventive programmes of CAN syndrome in childrenNursing - Review

Lucia Mazúchová

Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave, Jesseniova lekárska fakulta v Martine, Ústav nelekárskych študijných programov, Slovenská republika

Negative consequences of any form of the CAN syndrome (cruelty, abuse and negligence) in children suggest that the prevention is needed. The prevention is more advantageous than therapeutic or remedial interventions associated with tedious and expensive processes, which are time consuming or painful. In our contribution, we deal with preventive programmes of the CAN syndrome in children performed abroad and possibilities of their use in our country on the part of nurses and midwives. Preventive programmes have been proposed as a response resulting from needs in particular regions and can be inspiring in the prevention of exposing children to the cruelty, abuse and negligence.
Programmes aimed at the family in the period of the changeover to the parenthood were found to be the most effective procedures. The primary prevention of certain forms of abuse of children can be initiated even before the child delivery. The identification and management of pregnant women and families, in which cruelty, abuse or negligence can be expected, is desirable in attempts to provide the child with predictions and help. Providing the postnatal care by the nurse is also one of forms of timely interventions. The purpose of this approach is to reduce the stress in families by offering the assistance in solving different problems, securing emotional support, encouraging, managing and training of parent skills and thus, to provide adequate taking care of children.
In Slovakia, the prevention is by far not as much developed as in foreign countries; there is a lack of the compilation of complex preventive programmes. Within the framework of the CAN prevention, nurses and midwives have an important position in terms of determining risk factors in children during the pregnancy period, after the delivery and at early age of the child. They can determine health or other problems of parents, which can negatively affect the child, and thus initiate the prevention. Within the framework of the CAN syndrome prevention, on the part of nurses and midwifes, it is necessary to propose preventive strategies and programmes for risk families and to introduce them in practice.

Keywords: prevention; preventive programmes; CAN syndrome; children; nurse; midwife

Received: March 2, 2012; Accepted: May 2, 2012; Published: September 27, 2012  Show citation