In cases of suspected child abuse, under what condition can a physician examine the child without parental consent?

• A. If the child is at least 16 years old
• B. If the child is under 5
• C. If the parent is unavailable
• D. If abuse is suspected

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that older minors can have a degree of medical decision-making autonomy. When a patient is 16 years old or older, many jurisdictions recognize that they can consent to medical evaluation and treatment without a parent’s permission if they are capable of understanding what is involved. In the context of suspected abuse, the physician must still protect the child and report suspected abuse to authorities, but the examination itself can proceed if the adolescent is competent to consent due to age and maturity. The other options don’t provide a valid basis for bypassing parental consent: younger children generally cannot consent for themselves; a parent being unavailable does not override consent rules; and merely suspecting abuse does not automatically grant consent to examine without consent.