Is child abuse connected to increased risk of ulcerative colitis?

On Behalf of | Sep 27, 2015 | Domestic Violence

There are certain things no child should ever have to experience. One such thing is abuse. Child abuse, in any form, can do lasting harm to a child and permanently change their life. Among the long-term impacts it can have are long-term health impacts. 

A recent study indicates that individuals who suffer physical or sexual abuse as a child may have a greater vulnerability to developing ulcerative colitis during their life. This is an inflammatory bowel disease that has abdominal pain, bloody stools and diarrhea among its common symptoms. 

The study reviewed the child abuse history and medical history of around 22,000 adults in Canada. The study found that having ulcerative colitis was around twice as common among the adults who had been abused as a child as it was among the adults with no child abuse history. This was true for both physical and sexual abuse.

These results indicate there is some sort of connection between child abuse and ulcerative colitis risk. One wonders what exactly this connection is. 

Sadly, children sometimes experience abuse within their own family, such as abuse from one of their parents.

Given the massive amounts of harm child abuse can inflict, when a parent suspects that the other parent has committed abuse against their child, it is important for them to know what steps they could take to protect their child from further abuse. Such steps could, depending on the situation, include things such as seeking a protective order for their child or seeking a custody/visitation change to limit the other parent’s contact with the child. Family law attorneys can help Texas parents who are concerned that their child may be the victim of family violence understand what actions they can take and assist them with efforts to keep their child safe moving forward.

Source: HealthDay, “Childhood Abuse Linked to Ulcerative Colitis Later in Life,” Robert Preidt, Sept. 11, 2015

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