Pediatrician says DCS sometimes challenges doctor's opinions about maltreated children

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — A Spring Hill pediatrician says she has some sympathy as the Tennessee Department of Children's Services tries to sort through claims about children's welfare.

Dr. Shontae Buffington serves as the fellow-at-large representing Middle Tennessee for the Tennessee chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

But Buffington also told The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/10PY0YX ) she is irritated that DCS caseworkers without apparent medical expertise sometimes challenged her medical opinions. Buffington said it isn't unusual for a pediatrician to see two or three cases that could be medical maltreatment in a year's time.

The newspaper cited a case in which the department said medical professionals' belief that an East Tennessee infant with heart problems wasn't being properly cared for were unfounded. Six days later, the baby died.

Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com

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