As a pediatrician, I understand the toll child abuse takes on families, communities, and society. I have seen my fair share of traumatic child abuse and held the hands of brain-dead children as they take their last breath. However, I have never witnessed anything more destructive than accusing parents of child abuse in the absence of evidence to substantiate the claim.
Physicians making allegations against parents must pay attention to detail. Unfortunately, when they do not, the code of silence looms large. Regarding Dr. Elizabeth Woods — a general pediatrician hired as the medical director of the Child Abuse Intervention Department (CAID) at Mary Bridge Hospital in January 2018 — the silence from my colleagues has been deafening. I am choosing not to stay silent.