Divorce Complicates Child Health Matters

Staff Writer, April 16, 2009

In a divorce, the children are often those who suffer the most. Parents fight over custody rights and the particulars that are concerned with their care and the way that they are raised. When it comes to healthcare matters, there are many small factors that may be argued over by two divorced (or never married) parents. For this reason, many states require that the parents create detailed parenting plans that answer all of these questions, down to information regarding the number of times a child brushes his or her teeth every day.

Certain issues can be resolved during a custody battle. Typically, the parent who spends the most time with the child is given more authority in determining whether or not the child will take vitamins and what they will eat on a daily basis. However, larger decisions such as whether or not the co-pays will be shared and whether both parents should be present at doctors’ appointments are often left to the court to decide.

Often, the divorce decree, itself, will spell out some of the details of the childcare arrangement. However, a healthy growing environment for a child is one that involves the cooperation of both parents. Though the minute details of how a child is raised may seem secondary to the larger issues of financial obligation and custody, they are crucial to a child’s health and happiness, and should not be overlooked.