Common Childhood Problems Psy 4930 September 12, 2006

Common Childhood Problems

Psy 4930

September 12, 2006

Common Childhood Problems

• Toileting– Elimination Disorder: Enuresis and

Encopresis

• Eating Problems

• Sleep Problems

• Why do clinical child/pediatric psychologists need to know about these problems?

Toilet Training

• Varies by culture– Begins earlier in other countries– 4.6 London, 7.8 months Paris, 12.4 months Stockhom

• In U.S., 18-24 months is usually recommended as the starting age (24 months preferred)

• Most trained btw 24-36 months (almost all by 48 mo)

• Potential to ↑ parent and child stress– Pressure to train earlier - day-care centers

requirements– Parent-child relationship: tantrums, refusal,

punishment

• Unrealistic expectations– Parents and physicians disagree about the

age children should stay dry for the night (2.75 yrs vs. 5.13 yrs)

• If training is initiated >26 months, 2X faster than if <24 months

Toilet Training

• Readiness1. Bladder Control

– Voluntarily control sphincter muslces– Dry for several hours

2. Gross motor milestones – Walking, holding objects independently

3. Language milestones– Receptive: 1 and 2-step commands– Expressive: communicate needs

4. Desire to control the impulse to urinate or defecate

Toilet Training

Treatment Options

• Retention Control Training:– Rewarding child for increasing periods of

urine retention over 2 week period

• Supportive approaches:– Education– Fluid restriction– Night Awakening

Case: 3-year-old is experiencing difficulty with toilet-training for bowel and bladder. Behavioral program for intensive daytime toilet training

A. Switch over to regular underwear. This is an important step in helping XXX get immediate unpleasant sensation when she wets herself. If necessary, you can use plastic pants over the underwear.

B. Have XXX sit on the toilet for 5 minutes every half hour. If she urinates (even a little bit) or moves his/her bowels:1) Give lots of praise and applause!!!2) Give candy immediately (keep candy in the bathroom so it can

be given quickly)3) XXX is free to get off the toilet (she does not have to sit for the

whole 5-minute period) If she does not void-- after sitting 5 minutes -- say "good trying",

but insist that the child stay on the toilet for the full 5 minute (no candy is given).

C. If she has an accident... do Positive Practice1) Physically guide her to the bathroom2) Give reminder in a neutral voice: "wet pants are bad“ or

“oops, you’re wet” (avoid further conversation)3) Guide her to pull down pants4) Guide her to sit on the toilet (just sit for a couple seconds)5) Guide her to stand and pull pants up6) Guide her back to the area where you originally

discovered the accident, and say “Now it’s time to practice so you can do it by yourself next time” and repeat steps 1- 6 three to five times. This will help to give XXX the skills to begin independent toileting. Try to make it fun.

• On the last of the 3 practices, if it is close to the scheduled time that you would normally require her to have her ‘5 minute sit’, go ahead and allow her to sit for the 5 minutes.

D. If you are going out for an extended period and won't be able to have access to a toilet, go ahead and put on a diaper. However, it is extremely important that as soon as you come back to your home that you immediately put regular underwear back on.

Case Examples Anita Gurian, Ph.D. – NYU Child Study Center

• Jackson, aged 8 , a bright, athletic, seemingly self-confident youngster, had many friends and many social invitations. Although he enjoyed attending school functions and parties, he refused invitations to sleep at a friend's house. Jackson wet his bed almost every night and tried desperately to keep it secret, but when the class went on an overnight trip, his classmates found out and teased him. "I tried to stay up all night so I wouldn't wet, but I couldn't, and then the pee soaked through my sleeping bag."

Case Examples Anita Gurian, Ph.D. – NYU Child Study Center

• Rob, 6 years old, had an erratic maturational pattern. Motor and speech milestones were attained slightly after the expected ages, and he fell behind academically. Consistent with his slow development in these areas, he also had difficulty in developing urine control; he wet his bed at night and sometimes wet his clothes in school. He would usually say he was too busy or too tired to go to the bathroom. Despite Rob's teacher's attempts to handle this privately, the other children found out and called him names. Rob's parents were confused about what to do; they didn't know if he was being willful, if there was an underlying physical condition, or they were being too tough on him.

Enuresis

• Enuresis: repeated involuntary or intentional discharge of urine into bed or clothes beyond the expected age for controlling urination

• DSM-IV-TR age cutoff is 5 years• Enuresis must occur 2x/week for 3 consecutive

months (AAFP less stringent criteria)• Or cause significant distress or impairments in

functioning• Not due to General Medical Condition (GMC) or

medications

Enuresis

• Classifications of enuresis:– Nocturnal - only during sleep

• <10% have contributory urinary tract physical abnormalities

– Diurnal – only during wake hours• Greater incidence of medical problems

– Mixed

• Further classification:– Primary enuresis: “fixation”

• Never dry historically• 80-90% of bedwetting

– Secondary enuresis “regression” – at least 6 months dry

Enuresis: How common is it?

• 75% have nocturnal enuresis• 60% are male• Diurnal and Mixed

– 0.5 – 2% for boys/girls at age 6-7– Uncommon after age 9

• Nocturnal– Estimated 5 - 7 million children in the U.S.– Estimated that for each year of maturity, % bedwetters 15%– 15-25% of 5-year-olds– 5% of 10-year-olds– 8% boys, 4% girls at 12-years-old– Only 1-3% adolescents

Enuresis: Other factors

• More prevalent in low SES families, large families, and in families where mothers have less education

• More common in boys – Possible maturational lag link

• Frequent comorbidities:– Hyperactivity– Behavior problems– Anxiety– Developmental delays– Learning disabilities

Etiology of Enuresis• Biological: Organic Urinary Incontinence (1-

3%)– Diabetes– Urinary tract infections– Deficiencies in nighttime antidiruetic hormone

• Arginine vasopressin – delay in achieving circadian rise– Absence of learned muscle responses– Functional bladder capacity– Sleep disorder: Limited support (“deep sleepers”)

• Genetic: Strong Contribution!– 77% chance of child developing enuresis -both

parents– 44% chance –one parent– 15% chance –no parents

Etiology of Enuresis

• Developmental status:

• (AAFP)- Mentally disabled children: mental age of 4 required for diagnosis

– Communication skills

– Willingness to adhere to social norms

– Fine and gross motor skills

– Cognitive skills (e.g., planning, self-control)

Etiology of Enuresis• Psychosocial factors:

– While children with emotional disturbance at ↑ risk

– Most enuretic children do not have emotional or behavioral problems!

– Psych Problems are typically the result, not the cause!

– Still, stress, especially in 4-6-year-olds (e.g., divorce, school trauma, sexual abuse, hospitalization)

– Secondary enuresis: limited support

– Family disorganization or neglect

Risk Factors Enuresis

• Learning disabilities

• Lower intelligence

• Poor school achievement

• Higher rates in ADHD compared to non-ADHD

Assessment of Enuresis

• Medical evaluation:– Urine analysis– Physical exam

• Family history• Psychosocial factors• Child’s perception of enuresis

– Treatment is more successful if child perceives problem to have psychosocial implications


• History of the problem:– How often and when it occurs– Type of solutions parents have tried– Environment issues

• Daily fluid intake• Bedtime ritual• Proximity to bathroom


Date Bedtime Time of

Wakening

Time of

wetting

Size Parent

Behavior

Treatment:Spontaneous Remission

• 15% annual rate of spontaneous remission

• Between the ages of 4 and 6 years:– 71% of girls stop wetting– 44% of boys

• Only 38% of children with enuresis seek medical help

• Less likely if comorbid disorders are present (e.g., behavior problems)

Treatment: Daytime/Mixed

Enuresis

• Education– http://

www.kidney.org/patients/bw/BWkidneyboy.cfm

• Address any emotional/behavioral issues in therapy

– Family issues– Trauma– Anxiety– Behavior problems

http://www.kidney.org/patients/bw/BWkidneyboy.cfm

http://www.kidney.org/patients/bw/BWkidneyboy.cfm

Treatment: Daytime/Mixed Enuresis

Establish good toileting habits

1. Stop using diapers (exceptions)

2. Recording times child typically goes (every 30 minutes)

• Child must show regular pattern with intervals

3. Regular sitting – Positive practice• 5 minutes at regular times• Make this a positive experience• Use rewards for sitting or toileting


4. Cleanliness training• Matter-of-fact• Cleaning themselves, clothes, floor if wet• Sitting on toilet for 5 minutes after each wet

5. Charting progress and providing rewards

6. Urine “alarm clock”• Reminder/cue• Increase awareness


7. Sphincter control and urine retention exercises• Not Sufficient Alone• ↑ functional bladder capacity (holding urine as long as

possible during the day to stretch bladder – increase liquids during training)

• Sense the “urge”• Strengthen sphincter muscle (stopping urine mid-stream

technique)

8. Once continence established• Over-learning – increasing fluids• Fade positive reinforcement schedule • If nocturnal bedwetting: treat with urine alarm programs

9. Other tips:• Diet and exercise• Wait until child is ready

Nocturnal Enuresis Interventions http://www.kidney.org/news/newsroom/psa.cfm

1. Do nothing: Spontaneous Remission

2. Urine Alarm/Sleep Conditioning

3. Medication

http://www.kidney.org/news/newsroom/psa.cfm

http://www.kidney.org/news/newsroom/psa.cfm

Comparison of Treatment Modalities for Nocturnal Enuresis C. Carolyn Thiedke, M.D.

American Academy of Family Physicians

Treatment Advantage Disadvantage

Cost for brand name product (generic)*

Bed-wetting alarm

Effective, low relapse rate

Takes weeks for results; can be disruptive to family

$50 to $75, plus shipping and handling charges

Desmopressin (DDAVP)

Rapidly effective, few side effects

High-relapse rate with discontinuation

5-ml nasal spray: $149 for 5-mL bottle0.1-mg tablets: $72 for 30 tablets0.2-mg tablets: $85 for 30 tablets

Imipramine (Tofranil)

Inexpensive, works quickly

High-relapse rate with discontinuation; side effects, including cardiotoxicity at high doses

25-mg tablets: $28 (8) for 30 tablets

Treatment:Nocturnal Enuresis

• Bell-and-pad method or Urine alarm– Used frequently since 1930– 75% success rate– Urine-sensitive pad connected to alarm– Based on classical conditioning paradigm

• Child learns to associate alarm with feeling of full bladder

Urine AlarmWet-Stop Child Bedwetting Alarm

Urine Alarm

“Alarm systems are the most effective method for achieving nighttime dryness. A study at the Mayo Clinic comparing alarms, imipramine, and a nasal antidiuretic hormone demonstrated the clear superiority of alarm systems. A final tally of 261 children followed for one year showed the cure rate”:

Success Rate for 12 months

*Alarms used during the test included the Wet-Stop and the Sears Wee Alert

Reference: J.A. Monda & D.A. Husman, Journal of Urology,

Volume 154, August 1995

Treatment:Nocturnal Enuresis

• Bell and pad – Average use is 6 months– Increased success through:

• overlearning• Use of parental reinforcement• Continuing to use the alarm intermittently

INTENSIVE NIGHT TIME TOILET TRAINING

• The bell and pad (or any other version, (e.g., Wet Stop) contains an alarm plus a moisture sensitive monitor that is placed into a little pocket that is sewn inside your child's underwear. The basic idea is to help your child learn to awaken when his/her bladder is full, so that s/he can get up and go to the bathroom at night. Once the habit is established, the bell and pad can be withdrawn.

What you'll need:

1. Bell and pad or Wet Stops

2. Room in your's and your child's schedule for several sleepless nights (it might be good to start on a Friday night). Very intensive training occurs on the first and second night.

3. A logical and gentle rationale for your child (e.g., some kids are very heavy sleepers and need extra help in waking up to go to the bathroom at night).

First Night and Second Nights1. set up the bell and pad according to instructions2. before your child goes to bed, have him/her drink extra fluid3. keep yourself within ear shot of the alarm 4. when the alarm goes off, immediately go into your child's room

and with minimal attention, assist him/her in going to the bathroom to "finish up."

5. if your child is of an appropriate age, allow him/her to assist in the clean up (straightening out the bed, brief washing and changing pajamas).

6. have your child practice lying in the bed, getting up to go to the bathroom several times in a row.

7. encourage your child to drink more fluid before going back to sleep

Third Night through 2nd week1. all steps above are in place EXCEPT do not encourage

additional fluids.2. provide your child with rewards for each dry morning 3. your therapist will help you establish when to fade out the use

of the bell and pad.

After 14 Consecutive Dry Nights: Overlearning1. Child drinks 6-8 ounces of favorite liquid (non-caffeinated)

before bedtime2. Some accidents are expected3. Continue until 14 more consecutive dry nights

Intermittent Schedule1. Tell your child that on some nights the parents will disconnect

the alarm after he/she has gone to sleep2. Since they will not know when it is connected, this will help

him/her to learn to sleep through the night without the alarm3. During the next week, disconnect alarm 2 nights, and then

increase the number of nights disconnected after each completely dry week until the alarm is no longer connected

If wetting occurs more than once a month for 2 months, use the alarm again until the child has 30 dry nights in a row

EncopresisDefinition and DSM Criteria

• Repeated passage of feces into inappropriate places

• 1x/month for 3 months• Chronological/mental age of 4 years• 2 DSM Subtypes:

– With constipation and overflow incontinence (retentive: due to chronic constipation)

– Without constipation and overflow incontinence (nonretentive)

Encropresis

Nonretentive subgroups

1. Primary: failed to obtain initial bowel training

2. Toilet Fears: Avoidance

3. “Manipulative”: used by child to control the environment – ODD??

4. Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Encopresis:Prevalence

• Less researched than enuresis• ~ 25% of encopretic kids have enuresis• 1.5%-7.5% of children aged 6-12

– 5x more common in boys– 80-95% involve fecal constipation and retention

• Associated physical symptoms:– Poor appetite– Abdominal pain– Lethargy

Encopresis:Etiology

• Biological factors may play a role • Emotional factors alone do not usually

account for onset of retentive • Learning factors:

– Deficits in toileting skills (recognizing bodily cues, undressing, etc.)

– Chronic constipation may lead to loss of previously learned toileting skills

– Soiling may be reinforced by environmental factors

Encopresis:Etiology

• Learning factors, continued:– Stress or anxiety may lead to loss of

previously learned toileting behaviors– Developed fear of toileting due to:

• Painful bowel movements• Aggressive toilet training or severe punishment

for accidents• Fear of toilet

– Other factors: poor diet, embarrassment, poor access, inconsistent schedules

Encopresis:Etiology

• Emotional factors:– Historically, psychodynamic approaches

have viewed encopresis as a sign of underlying emotional distress

– Encopretic children display more behavior problems and more family problems

– Nonretentive encopresis and secondary encopresis can be associated with Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder

Encopresis Assessment

• Medical assessment is warranted:– Impaction

• Gather information about:– Stressful life events– Toilet training history– Psychological/behavioral difficulties– Typical family routine– Child and parent perceptions of problem

Encopresis:Treatment

• Not as well researched as enuresis

• Intervention modalities:– Education– Biofeedback– Behavioral – Medical


• Medical and Educational approaches:– Diet and exercise (e.g., high fiber diet,

fluids)– Laxatives or enemas

• Behavioral– Reinforcement, overcorrection, skill-

building techniques

• Biofeedback:– Muscle strengthening/relaxing exercises


• Schroeder & Gordon (2003)“plumbing problem” conceptualization

• Education:– Information about the GI tract and it’s

functioning– Information about diet and exercise

• Medical Interventions:– Enema for impaction and laxatives


• Toileting Skills:– Sitting schedules (for 5-10 minutes 20

minutes after meals)– Reinforcement for sitting and using the

toilet– “Clean pants check”

• Reward if clean• Child helps clean up if dirty

Why is Sleep Important for you to know about?

• Children with depression, anxiety, behavior problems, and ADHD have ↑ risk for sleep problems

• Sleep disturbance (e.g., sleep-disordered breathing, sleep restriction, fragmented sleep) is associated with worse neuropsychological (attention, executive functioning, motor skills, reaction time performance), behavioral (increased hyperactivity, inattention, impulsivity, conduct problems), and emotional (anxious/depressive symptoms, withdrawal, somatic complaints) functioning (Archbold et al., 2004; O’Brian et al., 2004; Fallone et al., 2000; Owens et al., 2000; Owens, 2005)

• 37% of children kindergarten -4th grade suffer from at least 1 sleep-related problem (www.sleepfoundation.org)

Sleep Disturbances in Children

• Young children with sleep problems tended to have problems 3 years later

• Of 8-year-olds with sleep wakening problems, 40% had sleep problems at age 3

• Evidence suggests that sleep problems do not “go away”

Basics of Sleep - Stages• REM - Dreaming, brains “active”, body immobile• NREM - “quiet”, deep “restorative” stages associated with

tissue growth/repair, hormones released for development

• Younger children have somewhat different patterns of sleep than adults, but typically develop a normal adult cycle by 8 years

• http://www.sleepfoundation.org/doze/

Basics of Sleep – REM

http://www.sleepfoundation.org/doze/



Developmental Sleep Requirements

AGE TOTAL/DAY PERIODS

Early infancy 16 hours 2-4 hours

12 months 14 hours 8-12 hrs, 2 naps

24 months 13-14 hours 11-12 hrs, 1 nap

3 years 12-13 hours 11-12 hrs, 1 nap

5 years 11 hours No naps

10-12 years 10 hours No naps

BEARS – AssessmentSimple set of sleep questions for parents

B= Bedtime• Does your child have difficulty going to bed? Falling

asleep? E= Excessive daytime sleepiness• Is your child always difficult to wake up in the

morning?• Does your child seem sleepy or groggy during the

day?• Does he or she often seem overtired (this can mean

moody, "hyper," or "out of it" as well as sleepy)?

A= Awakenings during the night• Does your child wake up at night? Have trouble falling

back to sleep?• Does anything else seem to interrupt his sleep? R= Regularity and duration of sleep • What time does my child go to bed and get up on

weekdays? Weekends? • How much sleep does he or she get? Need? S= Snoring• Does your child snore? Loudly? Every night? Does he

ever stop breathing or choke or gasp during sleep?

BEARS – AssessmentSimple set of sleep questions for parents

Common Sleep Disturbances in Children

• Common Bedtime problems:– Initiating sleep– Maintaining sleep (Sleep interruption) – 20-30% of children ages 1-5

• Treatment can include pharmacological approaches or behavioral approaches


• Parents of 5 to 12-year-olds reported the following sleep problems:– Bedtime resistance (27%)– Problems waking up (17%)– Fatigue (17%)– Sleep-onset delays (11%)– Night waking (6.5%)

Sleep Disturbances in ChildrenParasomnias

• Disruptions during sleep or at the transition from sleep to wakefulness– Nightmares (REM), Very common– Sleep Bruxism, >50% normal infants, 15% ages 7-17– Sleep Walking (~Stage 4 NREM), 18.5% ages 9-12– Sleep Terrors (NREM- early) 1-6 %, preschool age– Sleep Talking (REM or NREM), 50-60%– Others: REM Sleep Behavior Ds, Sleep Rocking, Head

Banging, Sleep Paralysis, Partial Arousals• 20% of children experience at least one of these

(Ware et al., 2001)• Generally etiology is unclear• Tend to disappear with age/maturation


• Treatment for recurrent nightmares:– At night:

• Have child describe nightmare• Use a night light• Reassuring child

– During day:• Desensitization (e.g., drawing)• Replaying the nightmare• Using pleasant imagery or teaching relaxation• Using positive self-statements

Sleep Disturbances in ChildrenObstructive Sleep Apnea

• Pauses in breathing during sleep• Momentary wakening/arousals may not allow

entrance into deep NREM stages and may reduce REM

• Symptoms– Loud snoring, restless sleep, daytime sleepiness

• Associations tone of or enlarged tonsils or adenoids – Obesity

Sleep Disturbances in ChildrenNarcolepsy

• Sleep distributed across 24 hours– Night-time sleep interruptions + short periods of

uncontrollable daytime sleepiness– REM based disorder

• Often 1st noticed in puberty, but occurs as young as 10• Symptoms

– Daytime “sleep attacks”, cataplexy (loss of tone), inability to move after waking, dream-like imagery before falling asleep

• Etiology– Neurological with strong genetic link – 18X risk if 1st degree relative– 3/10,000 European Americans

Sleep Disturbances in ChildrenPeriodic Limb Movement Disorder & Restless

Leg Syndrome

• RLS– Sensations deep in the legs produced by an irresistible

urge to move– Bothersome but not painful– Worst when at rest– Problems initiating & maintaining sleep

• PLMD– Leg movements/jerks every 20-40 seconds during sleep– Disrupt sleep

• Etiology: Iron or Vitamin Deficiency


Excessive Daytime Sleepiness• Multiple Causes

– Narcoplepsy, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, medication, illness, depression, etc.

• Symptoms:– Sleeping 2 hours + than typical child– Short attention span, poor coordination, irritability,

forgetfulness

Sleep Interventions

• Medical and/or Behavioral

–Medications

–Tonsilectomy

–Weight Loss

–Sleep Hygiene

Sleep Hygiene Recommendations used for 2-3 year old

The following are pediatric sleep hygiene guidelines put forward by the National Sleep Foundation (www.sleepfoundation.org)

• XXX should follow a nightly routine. A bedtime ritual makes it easier for your child to relax, fall asleep and sleep through the night.

– For example, a typical bedtime routine may involve: 1. light snack. 2. Take a bath. 3. Put on pajamas. 4. Brush teeth. 5. Read a story. 6. Make sure the room is quiet and at a comfortable temperature. 7. Put child in bed. 8. Say goodnight and leave.


• Make bedtime a positive and relaxing experience without TV or videos. TV viewing prior to bed can lead to difficulty falling and staying asleep. Save your child's favorite relaxing, non-stimulating activities until last and have them occur in the child's bedroom.

• Encourage children to fall asleep on their own. Have your child form positive associations with sleeping. The child who falls asleep on his or her own will be better able to return to sleep during normal nighttime awakenings and sleep throughout the night.

• Make bedtime the same time every night, and get up at the same time each morning, even on weekends. This helps the body acquire a consistent sleep rhythm.

• Adjust the total sleep time to fit your child's age and needs. It is recommended that XXX obtain between 12 and 14 hours of sleep.


• Your child should sleep in a cool room; avoid temperature extremes. Keep the bedtime environment (e.g. light, temperature) the same all night long.

• Your child should sleep in the same room consistently, not in a room utilized for most wake-time activities. Do not allow your child to use the bed for anything but sleep - do not watch TV or eat in bed. Do not use "going to bed" as a punishment.

• You may wish to plan regular daily exercise for your child, preferably in the evenings using the leg and arm muscles but do not exercise for thirty minutes prior to bedtime.


• Encourage your child to avoid heavy meals within two hours of bedtime; however, a light snack such as milk or cheese or crackers at bedtime may be helpful. Do not give excessive fluids prior to bedtime.

• Allow your child to have no stimulants within eight hours of bedtime (no cola drinks, tea, coca, chocolates; etc.)

• If your child has troublesome recurrent thoughts disturbing sleep onset; write them down with appropriate plan of action. Encourage them to think about simpler less troubling matters, recite rhymes, or think of songs.



• Discourage nighttime awakenings. When parents go to their child's room every time he or she wakes during the night, they are strengthening the connection between you and sleep for your child. Except during conditions when the child is sick, has been injured or clearly requires your assistance, it is important to give your child a consistent message that they are expected to fall asleep on their own. Provide your child with a lot of verbal praise for falling asleep on their own.

• Accept occasional nights of sleeplessness as being normal.

• For young children, nap and nighttime sleep are both necessary and independent of each other. Children who nap well are usually less cranky and sleep better at night. Although children differ, after six months of age, naps of 1/2 to two hours duration are expected and are generally discontinued between ages 2-5 years. Daytime sleepiness or the need for a nap after this age should be investigated further.


Eating Difficulties

• Eating or mealtime difficulties occur at some point in almost all children

• Children generally have control over their eating

• 20-62% of children having eating problems brought to the attention of a professional

Eating Difficulties

• Classification systems (e.g., DSM), especially for early eating problems, generally do not exist

• One classification system:– Developmental appropriateness of foods– Quantity consumed– Mealtime behaviors– Delays in self-feeding

Typical Development of Eating Behaviors

• Birth – 2 months: infants are feed as often as needed

• 3-5 months: children begin eating solid foods, can learn to accept most new tastes

• 7-10 months: children feed themselves with fingers or begin using spoon, “critical period” for introducing solids

Typical Development of Eating Behaviors

• 9-10 months: drinks from cup with spout, brings spoon to mouth

• 15 months: self-feeding

Promoting Positive Eating Practices

• Rejection of new foods is very common, but can be overcome with repeated trials

• Parent control of mealtimes may lead to coercive patterns and eating problems, weight fluctuations, and food preoccupation

• Children should be allowed make their own choices (to a degree)– Innate regulatory system

Mealtime Rules

1. Remain seated2. Chew and swallow with mouth closed3. Use utensils4. Include children in conversation5. Reward appropriate behavior6. Remove food at end of meal7. Allow snacks only if food was consumed

during meal8. Time out for rule breaking or disruptive

behavior(Christophersen & Hall, 1978)

Eating Problems:Pica

• Pica-persistent eating of nonnutritive substances for a period of at least 1 month– Dirt, paint chips, soap, plaster, chalk

• Considered problematic if persists past 18 months

• Most common in individuals with developmental disabilities, MR, and children between 2-3 years

Pica

• Etiology: nutritional deficiencies, parental neglect, impoverished environment, lack of stimulation

• Treatment:– Parent education– Behavior therapy

• Overcorrection• Rewarding other behaviors

Rumination

• Intentional and repeated regurgitation of food

• Not associated with a medical problem

• This is developmentally appropriate in children < 6 months

• Important to assess parent-child interactions

Failure to Thrive

• Child’s weight falls below normal – >2 S.D. below mean for age– Gestational age, parents, gender

• Characterized by an interplay between environmental and physical problems– Continuum rather than FTT vs. Non-Organic FTT

• 3.5-35% of children• Typically occurs in infants, but also in

preschoolers

Failure to Thrive

Risk Factors

• Caregiver:– Poor nutrition knowledge– Improper feeding techniques– Depression or psych distress– History of inadequate parenting as a child– Poor problem solving

Failure to Thrive

• Infant risk factors:– Prematurity– Difficult temperament– Depression– Physical Illness

Failure to Thrive

• Environmental risk factors– Poor financial resources– Lack of social support– Poor-quality home environment– Being youngest in large family

Failure to Thrive

• Treatment is multidisciplinary in nature– Medical professionals, psychologists, social

workers– At-home visits after inpatient stays– Education

• Observation of parent-infant interactions at mealtimes is important

• Weekly visits during pregnancy in high-risk mothers can be successful in preventing FTT

Any

Questions?

Documents

Common Childhood Problems Psy 4930 September 12, 2006