Maine Chapter
Maine Chapter, AAP
30 Association Drive
PO Box 190
Manchester, ME 04351
Phone: 207-782-0856
Maine Chapter
Executive Committee
President
Janice Pelletier MD FAAP
Vice President
Stephen Meister MD MHSA FAAP
Secretary-Treasurer
Dan Hale MD FAAP
August 27, 2014
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse
The Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly supports the latest addition to
Maine’s mandatory child abuse reporting law, LD 1523.
Maine’s mandatory reporting law defines child abuse or neglect as “a threat to a child’s health or
welfare due to physical, mental or emotional injury or impairment, sexual abuse or exploitation,
deprivation of essential needs or lack of protection from these” by a parent or caregiver responsible
for the child. All medical providers are mandatory reporters and must report “reasonable cause to
suspect” that a child has been or is likely to be abused or neglected.
Maine Chapter Board
Amy Belisle MD FAAP
Joel Bradley MD
Mark Brown MD MHSA FAAP
Donald Burgess MD FAAP
Gabriel Civiello MD FAAP
Jonathan Fanburg MD MPH FAAP
Steve Feder DO FACOP FAAP
Mary Ellen Gellerstedt, MD, FAAP
Jennifer Jewell MD FAAP
Larry Losey MD FAAP
Christopher Motyl DO
Lawrence Ricci MD FAAP
Sydney Sewall MD MPH FAAP
Brian Youth MD FAAP
Chapter Executive Director
Dee Kerry deHaas
dkerrydehaas@aap.net
Chapter Web site
www.maineaap.org
MAAP Facebook Page
Maine is proud to be named
2012 Outstanding Small Chapter
by the national AAP
AAP Headquarters
141 Northwest Point Blvd
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098
Phone: 847/434-4000
Fax: 847/434-8000
E-mail: kidsdocs@aap.org
www.aap.org
But what does it mean to suspect? Current research shows that when pediatricians report suspected
child abuse to the child welfare system they are correct 95% of the time. This same research shows
that pediatricians miss reporting 50% of the cases of child abuse because of a low level or lack of
suspicion. In Maine, even experienced providers have stated in their medical notes that they did not
suspect that bruising or fractures in a young child were caused by abuse because of the child’s close
relationship with the parent. Weeks later these young children experienced severe injuries and even
death due to physical abuse by their caregivers.
Very young children are at high risk of repeated injury or even death if a case of abuse is missed by
lack of reporting by a provider or inadequate investigation by our child welfare system. The addition
to our state mandatory reporting law, LD 1523, removes the vague and subjective notion of suspicion
from reporting injuries in very young children for these high risk situations. LD 1523 specifically states
that a person required to make report, shall report to the department if a child who is under six
months of age or otherwise non—ambulatory exhibits evidence of any of the following:
 Fracture of the bone
 Substantial bruising or multiple bruises
 Subdural Hematoma
 Burns
 Poisoning
 Injury resulting in substantial bleeding, soft tissue swelling, or impairment of organ
It is our responsibility to protect our children and keep them safe. The latest addition to Maine’s
mandatory child abuse reporting law, LD 1523, will save lives and protects very young children. We
propose that the state Office of Child and Family Services be required to specifically track reports of
abuse under LD 1523 and the outcomes of the child welfare system’s investigations under this law.
The data collected should be included in the annual report of the Child Death and Serious Injury
Review Panel.
Sincerely yours,
Janice L. Pelletier MD, FAAP
President, Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Stephen Meister MD, MHSA, FAAP
Vice President, Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics