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Journal Article

Citation

Ohlsson A. Child Abuse Negl. 1979; 3(2): 449-459.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1979, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify aetiological stress factors in cases on non-orqanic failure to thrive admitted to a paediatric clinic in Sweden. The growth charts and the case histories of 11 children less than three years old and fulfilling the following diagnostic criteria are presented: (1) Weight 3SD below mean or a deviation of 3SD from an earlier growth pattern, (2) no organic disease to explain the underweight, (3) signs of retarded development or deprivation, and (4) weight gain, improved development and disappearance of symptoms on adequate caloric intake and psychosocial intervention in the families. Most children were referred from a Well Baby Clinic (WBC) because of deviation in the growth pattern attributed to organic disease. A combined paediatric and child psychiatric approach excluded organic disease but revealed different psychosocial stress factors such as insecure parental childhood, immigrant parents, father absent or inadequate, alcoholism, psychiatric, or marital problems in the parents, and somatic or child psychiatric disease among siblings. Except for poor weight gain the children presented with feeding difficulties, vomiting, diarroea, apathy, sterotypies, and varying degrees of retardation. A deviation in the growth pattern should always stimulate the health worker to initiate psychosocial investigations to prevent unnecessary somatic investigations and severe neglect or abuse.

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