Free Health Dissertations - Aid To Families With Dependent Children, Medicaid, And Supplemental Social
Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Medicaid, and Supplemental Social Security Income, helps to maintain children in families. A study by Frank et al (1996) examines five major aspects of child care and these are: (1) infectious morbidity, (2) cognitive development, (3) nutrition and growth, (4) socio-affective development, and (5) physical and sexual abuse. These are areas of high risk in social care of children and such risks are especially high in care homes and orphanages. Frank et al emphasize that ‘infants and young children are uniquely vulnerable to the medical and psychosocial hazards of institutional care, and negative effects that cannot be reduced to a tolerable level’ (Frank et al., 1996, 569). This study also establishes that children placed in care homes and orphanages are at increased risks of infectious diseases and delayed cognitive and language development so much so that institutionalized children are at risk of developing into unproductive adults (Tarren-Sweeney and Hazell, 2005).
The prevalence of hepatitis B infection among children in residential care facilities has been studied by Solarsh et al. (1996). 195 children of ages 3-3.5 years were studied and among these children 66.2% had evidence of exposure to hepatitis B virus. 14.9% of these tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen and 595% were positive for hepatitis B core antibody. Rates of infection however increased with time and the study demonstrated the relatively high risk of exposure to hepatitis B and high prevalence of the disease in residential care facilities for children, when compared with the general population. In fact, the study also proves that the risks of infection increase with duration of stay and the children in these homes are not only themselves at risk but also become a reservoir of hepatitis B infection that can affect the larger community. There is a growing concern and need for guidelines and urgent screening and management in residential care facilities for children who are being prepared for adoption or foster care (also see Diamond et al, 2003).
Some of the other common infectious diseases studied in relation to child care in residential facilities are - chronic lung infection (Foster and Alton, 2003); respiratory viral infections (King 1997); HIV/AIDS (Donati and Dumaret 2001, Thorne et al. 1998); Chlamydia infections (Boman et al, 1999); Human circovirus TT viral infections (Lin 2000) and Human microsporidal infections (Weber et al, 1994).
Conclusion:
In this literature survey, we discussed several studied that have specifically dealt with the high risks of infectious diseases in residential care facilities and care homes for children.
