Abstract
Hospital and social service records of 32 patients, 23 boys and 9 girls, with reversible behavioral symptoms in a syndrome of dwarfism characterized by reversible inhibition of growth in stature are surveyed and discussed. When first seen, the patients ranged in age from 22 months to 16 years and 2 months. After initial hospitalization, they were discharged to a convalescent home and then to foster homes to experience a prolonged change of domicile and thus continue to grow. Changes in domicile from adverse environments, where growth failure began and persisted, to ameliorative where catch-up growth took place covaried significantly (p<.001) with decreased incidence of physical injury, severe physical punishment or abuse, self-inflicted injury, and behavior indicating pain agnosia. It is suggested that self-injury may counteract cognitional starvation under conditions of sensory deprivation when self-inflicted injury and pain agnosia coexist.
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This study was supported by a grant from the Erickson Educational Foundation and by USPHS grants HD 18635, HD 00325, HD 01852 and RR 00035 (GCRCP).
The patients in this sample were diagnosed and managed under the supervision of Dr. Robert M. Blizzard. The clinical cooperation of members of the pediatric endocrine clinic and the availability of its medical files are greatly appreciated. Dr. Robert Athanasiou assisted with the statistical reduction of the data. We also thank the staff at Happy Hills Hospital for their excellent cooperation.
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Money, J., Wolff, G. & Annecillo, C. Pain agnosia and self-injury in the syndrome of reversible somatotropin deficiency (psychosocial dwarfism). J Autism Dev Disord 2, 127–139 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537566
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537566