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Signs of emotional disturbance three years after early hospitalization
J J Fahrenfort1, E A Jacobs, S Miedema
1University of Leiden, Netherlands.
Insights
Children hospitalized for extended or repeated periods may experience persistent emotional disturbances. These include poor concentration, attention seeking, bowel control issues, and fearfulness, particularly after surgery.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Hospitalization in early childhood (6-36 months) can be stressful.
- Previous research suggests potential long-term emotional impacts of hospitalization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that lengthy or repeated hospitalizations in young children are linked to persistent emotional disturbances.
- To identify specific behavioral problems associated with such hospitalization histories.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study design.
- Parental reports of problem behavior using the Behaviour Checklist were collected several years after discharge.
- Comparison between a group of children with "risky" hospitalization histories and a control group.
Main Results:
- Children with lengthy or repeated hospitalizations showed significantly elevated scores on the Behaviour Checklist.
- Specific disturbances included poor concentration, attention seeking, bowel control deficits, and fearfulness.
- Children who underwent surgery exhibited more signs of disturbance compared to others.
Conclusions:
- Lengthy or repeated hospitalizations in children aged 6-36 months are associated with increased risk of persistent emotional and behavioral disturbances.
- Rooming-in policies are recommended to mitigate these risks during hospitalization for children in this age group.
- Further research is needed to confirm the protective effect of parental attendance.
Abstract:
Tested by a retrospective study the hypothesis that children in the 6-36 months age range in case of lengthy (> 3 days) or repeated (more than once) hospitalization are susceptible to persistent emotional disturbances. Families of children with such a "risky" hospitalization history were approached by mail, several years (M = 36 months, SD = 10) after the latest discharge. The parents of these children (N = 40; mean age 59 months) and of a control group without a risky hospitalization history (N = 73; mean age 58 months) reported about current problem behavior of their child. Scores on the Behaviour Checklist (Richman et al., 1982) were significantly (p < .05) elevated in the sample. Specific signs were poor concentration, immoderate attention seeking, deficits of bowel control, and fearfulness. Cases of surgery significantly exceeded others in signs of disturbance. Although the protective value of parental attendance could not be demonstrated in this study, on the basis of prior research, rooming-in is recommended as a necessary precaution in the 6-36 months age range.