Re: Prosecution of parents over baby’s death raises controversy over diagnosing child abuse
The bedside television is now a standard provision of the hospital care package. Children, who would otherwise be at school, can become at risk of being exposed to adult issues on daytime television. Daytime viewing habits can be categorised into child-friendly channels, programmes with an informative/journalistic slant and reality-based entertainment shows. Patients often have to be asked to lower the volume on the ward round and younger children sharing a bay with teenagers can be alerted to the problems of dysfunctional families plagued by alcohol and abuse.
We questioned the suitability of children being exposed to adult matters and conducted a covert survey which documented the viewing habits of patients on the ward. We recorded the programmes that were being watched by patients during the morning ward round over the course of five consecutive weekdays. Ward rounds usually occurred between 9am and 11am.
Table 1 Television Viewing Habits Grouped By Age
A total of 76 patients were surveyed, of which the television was switched on in 48 occasions. Whilst the majority of cases had child-friendly channels such as CBeebies or CBBC on their televisions (64.6%), a small group were tuned in to reality-based entertainment shows such as the Jeremy Kyle Show and Loose Women (22.9%). The demography of this minority was polarised in terms of age group, involving only patients under the age of one year (12.5%) and teenagers between the ages of 13 and 16 (10.4%), with no discrimination between either sex. We suspect that in the former cohort, parents were using the television for their own entertainment.
The General Medical Council declares that it is our duty as doctors to ‘protect and promote the health of patients and the public’1. The Health Act of 2006 which makes all enclosed public places and workplaces smoke-free2 is an example of good health promotion amongst the general population. Studies demonstrating an increase in children’s food consumption, particularly energy-dense foods, following food advertisements3 led to the Children’s Food Bill of 2004 which imposes a ban on junk food advertisements during dedicated children’s television channels and programmes4.
However, does our duty end at physical behaviours or does it extend to psychological, emotional and social health? What messages do we convey to teenage patients who are admitted for drug overdose or to parents of younger children with child protection issues when they are allowed to watch programmes such as the Jeremy Kyle Show? In addition to promoting good health by providing well-balanced meals in hospitals, maybe it is time we also have a say in which values society should subscribe to by limiting the types of programmes available on a paediatric ward.
2Health Act 2006 (c. 28), London, The Stationery Office.
3Halford JCG, Gillespie J, Brown V, Pontin EE, Dovey TM. Effect of television advertisements for foods on consumption in children. Appetite 2004;42(2): 221-225
4HC Bill (2004-05) [56]. Children’s Food Bill. London, The Stationery Office.
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Re: Prosecution of parents over baby’s death raises controversy over diagnosing child abuse
The bedside television is now a standard provision of the hospital care package. Children, who would otherwise be at school, can become at risk of being exposed to adult issues on daytime television. Daytime viewing habits can be categorised into child-friendly channels, programmes with an informative/journalistic slant and reality-based entertainment shows. Patients often have to be asked to lower the volume on the ward round and younger children sharing a bay with teenagers can be alerted to the problems of dysfunctional families plagued by alcohol and abuse.
We questioned the suitability of children being exposed to adult matters and conducted a covert survey which documented the viewing habits of patients on the ward. We recorded the programmes that were being watched by patients during the morning ward round over the course of five consecutive weekdays. Ward rounds usually occurred between 9am and 11am.
Table 1 Television Viewing Habits Grouped By Age
A total of 76 patients were surveyed, of which the television was switched on in 48 occasions. Whilst the majority of cases had child-friendly channels such as CBeebies or CBBC on their televisions (64.6%), a small group were tuned in to reality-based entertainment shows such as the Jeremy Kyle Show and Loose Women (22.9%). The demography of this minority was polarised in terms of age group, involving only patients under the age of one year (12.5%) and teenagers between the ages of 13 and 16 (10.4%), with no discrimination between either sex. We suspect that in the former cohort, parents were using the television for their own entertainment.
The General Medical Council declares that it is our duty as doctors to ‘protect and promote the health of patients and the public’1. The Health Act of 2006 which makes all enclosed public places and workplaces smoke-free2 is an example of good health promotion amongst the general population. Studies demonstrating an increase in children’s food consumption, particularly energy-dense foods, following food advertisements3 led to the Children’s Food Bill of 2004 which imposes a ban on junk food advertisements during dedicated children’s television channels and programmes4.
However, does our duty end at physical behaviours or does it extend to psychological, emotional and social health? What messages do we convey to teenage patients who are admitted for drug overdose or to parents of younger children with child protection issues when they are allowed to watch programmes such as the Jeremy Kyle Show? In addition to promoting good health by providing well-balanced meals in hospitals, maybe it is time we also have a say in which values society should subscribe to by limiting the types of programmes available on a paediatric ward.
1General Medical Council. Good Medical Practice: Duties of a doctor. http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/good_medical_practice/duties_of_a_doctor.asp (accessed 8 April 2012).
2Health Act 2006 (c. 28), London, The Stationery Office.
3Halford JCG, Gillespie J, Brown V, Pontin EE, Dovey TM. Effect of television advertisements for foods on consumption in children. Appetite 2004;42(2): 221-225
4HC Bill (2004-05) [56]. Children’s Food Bill. London, The Stationery Office.
Competing interests: No competing interests