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[Screening for child abuse: what does it achieve?]

In the Netherlands, child abuse is a national problem and often not recognized in medical settings. As a consequence, it has become mandatory to use a screening instrument for child abuse at emergency departments and out-of-hours primary care services. Since the revised Reporting Code has come into force, there is renewed interest for a national approach on screening for child abuse. The question is how valid existing screening instruments are and how they help the medical professional to suspect child abuse. In this article, we elaborate on the value of available screening instruments and their consequences for daily practice. Because of the limited validity of available screening instruments, we recommend replacing them with a simple reminder to increase awareness of child abuse. A nationwide approach to child abuse in the medical setting should be implemented, with mandatory training on child abuse as its cornerstone.