[Child abuse].

Child abuse occurs frequently and necessitates a multidisciplinary approach--medical, surgical, psychopathological, social and legal, as much for its prevention as for its diagnosis and treatment. It comprises all forms of psychological and physical violence as well as neglect, which lead to an impact on the general state of the child, gravely harming its physical and psychological development. The diagnosis of child abuse is difficult to make, as there exist no pathognomic criteria of maltreatment, and denial is usual in the perpetrators when they are identified.