Pediatricians can support children whose parents are going through a divorce or separation by identifying the need for intervention and maintaining positive, neutral relationships with both parents, according to a new clinical report released by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
More than 1 million American children annually are affected by their parents’ break-up and may suffer emotional trauma that requires extra support, according to the report, “Helping Children and Families Deal With Divorce and Separation.” The report, published in December, observes that the separation of unmarried heterosexual partners is more common than divorce yet may result in psychological effects that are just as significant. These children need pediatric support, just as couples who formally go through divorce.
“The pediatrician can help parents understand their children’s reactions to divorce or separation,” said one of the lead authors, Carol C. Weitzman, MD, chair of the Academy's Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
“Those reactions will vary, depending on age and stage of development,” she said. “Parents should be encouraged to answer their children’s questions honestly, and allow them to express their own feelings.”
Many children show behavior changes in the first year of parent separation. While most adjustment problems are resolved in two to three years, the child’s sense of loss may last for many more years and be exacerbated on holidays, birthdays, or special events.
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