‘We can’t let domestic violence blight their entire lives’: A GP’s story treating children
Dr Colette Hourigan says mothers in domestic violence situations are sometimes unaware of the medical impact on their children
Dr Colette Hourigan operates a program for women and children affected by domestic violence.
She works three days a week, but she is also on call.
Along with a nurse, she visits patients at three refuges in on the NSW Central Coast, where they assess the health of mothers and their children.
For children, the health impacts span ADHD, speech pathology and autism. Dr Hourigan says her experiences show that intervening early is crucial.
