Medical Neglect by Parents and Child Health at Clinical Sites

Abstract

During the last a few years, so-called 'An-A-Ki' (i.e., raising kids without medicine and medical treatment) emerged as social issue on mass media in Korea. It calls the group of parents who refuse medicine and medical treatment, or withhold medical action such as vaccination necessary for children. Their intention is to prevent misuse/overuse of medicine and side effects of antibiotics, using natural treatment instead. The problem lies in using medically and scientifically unverified extreme therapies or folk medicines. This kind of acts predicts an increased risk against child health. Further worse, they send inflicted children to kindergarten and may infect other children.