Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload
Published on: March 14, 2017
Behavioral impact of sickle cell disease in young children with repeated hospitalization
Mohamed H Bakri1, Eman A Ismail1, Ghada O Elsedfy2
1Department of Anesthesia, Children's Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt.
Insights
Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience significant behavioral issues, including anxiety and aggression, compared to healthy peers. Early intervention with psychological support and pain management is crucial for these children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Hematology
- Child Development
Background:
- Sickle cell disease (SCD) significantly impacts children's psychological well-being, especially those with repeated hospitalizations.
- Parental distress and anxiety are common due to the challenges of managing SCD in children.
- The psychological state of both children with SCD and their families is negatively affected.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the behavioral impact of SCD in young children (1½ to 5 years) with a history of repeated hospitalizations.
- To compare the behavior of children with SCD to a control group of healthy children.
- To identify specific behavioral changes associated with SCD in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- A study group of 35 children with SCD and repeated hospitalizations was matched with 35 healthy children.
- The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and a DSM-oriented scale were administered to assess behavior.
- Behavioral data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Children with SCD exhibited statistically significant increases in anxiety/depression, somatic complaints, withdrawal, and aggressive behavior compared to controls.
- Internalizing symptoms were significantly higher in children with SCD.
- Children with SCD scored significantly higher on the DSM scale for pervasive developmental disorder.
Conclusions:
- Children with SCD and a history of repeated hospitalizations are at a higher risk for behavioral problems.
- Psychological counseling and social support are recommended to mitigate behavioral consequences.
- Effective pain management is essential in addressing the behavioral challenges faced by children with SCD.
Background:
Sickle cell disease (SCD) in children with a history of repeated hospitalization is distressing for children as well as their parents leading to anxiety and has negative effects on the psychological state of children and their families.
Objective:
The aim of the study was to determine the overall effect of SCD on the behavior of young children age 1½ to 5 years old who had repeated history of hospitalization, compared to a control group of healthy children attended a vaccination clinic.
Patients And Methods:
Thirty-five children of age 1½ to 5 years who have SCD and repeated history of hospitalization were recruited from pediatric clinic as the study group and matched with same number of healthy children who attended vaccination clinic, as a control group. Both groups were administered the child behavior checklist (CBCL) 1½ to 5 years and diagnostic and statistical (DSM)-oriented scale. Behavior data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire.
Results:
CHILDREN WHO HAVE SCD HAD STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT BEHAVIORAL CHANGES ON CBCL COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP: Anxiety/depression (65.2 vs. 55.1; P < 0.001), somatic complaint (66.7 vs. 54.4; P < 0.001) withdrawn (63.4 vs. 53.2; P < 0.001), aggressive behavior (60.4 vs. 56; P=0.04), and internalizing symptoms (64.7 vs. 51.5; P < 0.001), respectively. The DSM scale showed that children with SCD scored significantly higher in pervasive developmental disorder compared to the control group (60.9 vs. 53.9; P < 0.001) respectively.
Conclusion:
Children with SCD who had history of repeated hospitalization are at an increased risk of developing behavioral problems. Psychological counseling, social support, and proper pain management could minimize these behavioral consequences.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:26Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion
01:30Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...
01:49Multiple Allele Traits
01:23Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
01:24Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
01:17Classification of Illness
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe...