Which statement BEST describes severe neglect?

• A. Not letting a child watch TV.
• B. Missing bedtime.
• C. Not providing a bicycle.
• D. Failing to protect a child from malnutrition or medically diagnosed non-organic failure to thrive.

Answer: (D)

Severe neglect means failing to meet a child’s essential physical needs and medical care, causing or risking serious harm. The statement about not protecting a child from malnutrition or from a medically diagnosed non-organic failure to thrive directly describes a failure to provide core necessities—nutrition and appropriate medical evaluation—which is the clearest example of severe neglect. It shows a risk to the child’s health and safety that goes beyond ordinary parenting gaps.

The other scenarios depict less clear-cut neglect. Not letting a child watch TV, or missing a bedtime, or not providing a bicycle are more about routine limits or material items and typically do not illustrate the essential physical needs and medical care that define severe neglect.