Eating disorder patients?

[LDNurse2B]

do you get any ed patients? What is there day like? How long are they there on average? Is there family/friends able to visit them? How far below weight for their height do they have to be to be admitted into the hospital? And anything else about the ED patients is greatly appreciated. Also can their parents be sent to jail b/c their child has an ed? Thanks!

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

Why would a parent be sent to jail because their child is sick?

[nurse4theplanet, RN]

I think a psych eval and a diet history would provide enough info that there would be no need to suspect abuse by the parents leading to malnutrition. Eating disorders are an illness of the patient, not a crime of the parents.

[vollmermc]

I once had an eating disorder. I was only in the medical hospital to get a referral to the psych ward. I was there for 6 weeks until my weight was out the danger range. It is a long tough battle, but in no way would I blame my parents (they were not in trouble with the law!).

[LydiaNN]

The only time I've heard of parents being prosecuted as related to children and weight were when young children were denied food by their parents, not when they were old enough to start refusing to eat it. There was also a case in the news some time ago, about a young woman with PWS who had essentially eaten herself to death and the authorities were considering charges against the mother for neglect, but I don't know/recall how that was ever settled.

[SmilingBluEyes]

An eating disorder is a diagnosis of illness and not a jailable offense on the parts of the parents. These individuals need psychiatric and medical tx, not for their parents to go to jail.

Unless the parents have neglected or intentionally harmed their child, there would be no reason to press charges against them.