PEDIATRICS Vol. 46 No. 4 October 1970, pp. 604-610
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mattsson, A.
Right arrow Articles by Weisberg, I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mattsson, A.
Right arrow Articles by Weisberg, I.

BEHAVIORAL REACTIONS TO MINOR ILLNESS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Ake Mattsson M.D.1 and Israel Weisberg M.D.1

1 Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine at Hanna Pavilion and Babies and Children's Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio

Over a 3-year period 35 preschool children were observed during minor physical illness at home while they were cared for by their mothers. The children came from one pediatrician's private practice and had no history of chronic illness or hospital admission. A total of 76 periods of illness were observed. During the acute phase of illness all children showed some temporary loss of age-appropriate behavior. Particularly striking were the changes in the children's relationship with their mothers. These changes constituted two types of reactions which were related to age. Reaction 1, predominant among the ill 2-year-olds, was characterized by the child's clinging, whiny dependence while children over the age of 3 tended to show Reaction 2. Its main feature was a self-contained, rather undemanding state. During convalescence all children demonstrated a few days of irritable, impatient behavior. The preschool child's reactions to acute illness at home appear to change with age in an orderly continuum toward self-contained, rather independent behavior. The findings allow for a discussion of the possible role of minor illness in promoting the young child's reality sense and responsibility for the care of his body.

Submitted on March 3, 1970
Accepted on April 23, 1970




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Arch Pediatr Adolesc MedHome page
E. M. Perrin, M. L. Murphy, J. R. Casey, M. E. Pichichero, D. K. Runyan, W. C. Miller, L. A. Snider, and S. E. Swedo
Does Group A {beta}-Hemolytic Streptococcal Infection Increase Risk for Behavioral and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Children?
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, September 1, 2004; 158(9): 848 - 856.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]