Reactions to the Threatened Loss of a Child: A Vulnerable Child Syndrome

Abstract

1. A group of clinical features constituting a vulnerable child syndrome is reported and described in 25 children with a history of an illness or accident from which they recovered although the parents were expecting a fatal outcome. 2. This paper describes a study of this group based on the hypothesis that children who are expected by their parents to die prematurely often react with a disturbance in psychosocial development and in the parent-child relationship. 3. Outstanding clinical features include difficulty with separation, infantile behavior, bodily overconcerns, and school underachievement. 4. Predisposing factors and determinants of the symptomatology are discussed along with suggestions for management and prevention.

Maternal coping strategies and emotional distress: Results of an early intervention program for low birth weight young children.

“…Parents of LBW children might experience more stress than parents of NBW children at the time of the child's birth (Eckerman & Oehler, 1992;Goldberg & DiVitto, 1995). Parents of LBW children might be more likely to perceive their children as vulnerable to illness and might be more protective of them than are parents of NBW children (Green & Solnit, 1964;McCormick, Shapiro, & Starfield, 1982). Maternal interaction patterns might differ somewhat by child's birth weight, although these differences occur primarily in the 1st year of life (Beckwith & Cohen, 1984, 1989Field, 1987;Field, Dempsey, & Shuman, 1979;Friedman & Sigman, 1992).…”

Parental overprotection and its relation to perceived child vulnerability.

“…ental health professionals are likely M to encounter parents who manifest either overprotective behavior (Levy, 1931(Levy, , 1966Parker, 1983) toward their child (to a degree that is excessive and developmentally inappropriate) or who believe that their children are more vulnerable to illness or injury than other children (Bowen, 1978;Carey, 1969;Chamberlin, 1967;Green, 1988;Green & Solnit, 1964;Naylor, 1982;Scheiner et al. 1985;Schmitt, 1971).…”

Relationship between psychosocial adjustment and perception of maternal attitudes.

“…Support was found in earlier studies (Agle, 1964;Browne, Mally, & Kane, 1960) that mothers of hemophiliacs tend to overprotect and infantilize their sons. In fact, studies of juvenile diabetics (Swift, Seidman, & Stein, 1967) and of other children considered to be physically vulnerable (Green & Solnit, 1964) also revealed the mothers' tendencies to protect, infantilize, and dominate their children. These attitudes seemed initially based on the realistic possibility of physical danger to the child; however, even when the children in these studies were old enough to fend for themselves, the mothers continued their protective roles.…”