Chapter 13: Problems of Childhood

Healthcare workers who work with children must have an understanding of

Normal growth & development along with an awareness of each child's individual pace

Growth is defined as

An increase in PHYSICAL size

Development is defined as

An enhanced ability in skill/function

Colic consists of a set of behaviors that are mostly seen in which class of infants?

Middle class

A colicky infant is defined as

An infant who is well fed and healthy that cries for 3 plus hours daily for over 3 weeks.

Feeding disorders in Children range from

Overeating to Undereating

Sleep problems in Children

Night terrors, problems falling asleep, & nighttime awakenings.

Common expression of anger and frustration in Childhood

Temper tantrums

In the age range of 1 to 4, what percentage of children have temper tantrums?

50 to 80 percent

Breath-holding spells can begin at age

6 months

Breath-holding spells can last until

Age 5

What is often time hand-in-hand with mental health problems?

Poverty

Abuse is defined as

Causing harm or mistreating others

Neglect is

Not meeting a child's basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, love, & belonging.

One of the most common parent to child problems

Conflict

Parents who set limits and enforce the limits consistently provide

Stability for children to test their limits in healthy ways.

When a parent can not meet a child's needs, what exists?

A disturbance in the parent-child interactions.

Aggressive intervention can improve the

Long-term outlook for children.

Emotional problems occur in children when they

Can not cope successfully with situations

Infants and toddlers experience which type of anxiety the most?

Separation Anxiety

Anxiety-based school refusal is

A behavioral pattern where the child refuses to attend school

Most children's bouts of anxiety can be relieved when they recieve

Reassurance and emotional support

Signs a child is effectively coping with their anxiety

Anxiety does not interfere with relationships with friends/family or activities in school.

Clinical findings in Childhood Depression

Persistent state of unhappiness that interferes with pleasure/productivity.

Therapeutic interventions reduce

Depression inducing problems

In order for a child to cope with their depression, what should be provided?

Emotional support

Somatoform Disorder is common in which age group?

School-aged children

Somatoform disorder are signs or symptoms of

An illness with no traceable, physical cause.

With somatoform disorder, what occurs when stress is relieved?

Child returns to healthy level of functioning/

PTSD can developing following

An extremely traumatic event involving injury/threat to child.

With PTSD, traumatic events are relived

Repeatedly

Treatment of PTSF primarily focuses on

Early recognition and emotionally supportive care.

Acts of aggression are common in

Schools where children tend to be bullied/intimidated

Children witness violence in their home and may adopt it as a

Method for solving problems/resolving conflict.

If a child's conduct becomes inappropriate as time passes, what may be diagnosed?

A disruptive behavioral disorder.

Most common disruptive behavioral disorders

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder.

By 2 years old, what percentage of American children typically have an online history?

Over 90%.

Most of a middle school aged child's time is spent

On their devices rather than with their parents.

Most commonly diagnosed mental health problem in childhood

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

ADHD is a cluster of behaviors related to

Inattention and impulsive actions

Treatment of Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder includes a

Multidisciplinary approach, positive reinforcement, parent and child education, & medication.

Children with conduct disorders are typically

Defiant of all authority

Children with disruptive behavioral conduct disorders engage in

Aggressive actions towards others, refuse to follow society's rules/norms, & violate others rights.

Treatment of Disruptive behavioral conduct disorder includes

Providing a stable environment with limits that are consistently enforced.

Oppositional defiant disorder is a

Recurring pattern of disobedient, hostile behavior towards authority figures.

Children with Oppositional defiant disorder are known to frequently

Lose their temper, argue with adults, deliberately annoy others, & refuse to compromise.

Treatment for Oppositional Defiant disorder includes

Family therapy that stresses setting limits and maintaining consistency.

Children who have issues eating are defined as

Routinely failing to eat adequately

Things that cause issues when eating in children

Repeated, unsuccessful attempts to feed an irritable infant, parental mental health problems, abuse, & neglect.

Treatment for Problems when eating in Children

Ruling out a cause

PICA

Persistent eating of non food items for over 1 month

PICA is often seen in children with

Mental retardation, developmental disorders, or vitamin & mineral deficiencies.

Rumination disorder

Infant regurgitates and rechews their food

Why may malnutrition occur with Rumination disorder?

Food is brought back to the mouth soon after eaten

When does rumination disorder go away?

With age

Enuresis

Involuntary urinary incontinence in children over age 5

Primary nocturnal enuresis

Wetting the bed exclusively at night

Secondary enuresis develops after

Bladder control is achieved.

Encopresis is

Repeated, typically voluntary, passing of feces in inappropriate places in a child over 4 years old without physical abnormalities.

Children are considered mentally retarded only if

They have problems in general intellect and adaptive functioning.

What score on an IQ test gives a child a diagnosis of Mental Retardation?

Below 70

Learning disorders are diagnosed when

A child with normal intelligence falls below other children in the same age group in standardized reading, math, and written tests.

A child has a learning disorder only if

The specific problem interferes with academic achievement/ADLs

Children with learning disabilities often have

Low self esteem

Children with learning disabilities often lack

Social skills other children have

Common examples of developmental problems in children?

ADHD and dyslexia

Communication disorders may result from

Neurologic or other medical conditions

Phonologic disorder

Failure to use speech sounds expected for their age group

Expressive language disorder

Speaking at a rapid/slow rate, with strange rhythms and word usage

Stuttering

Pattern of speech where sounds are frequently repeated

Common communication disorders

Phonologic disorder, expressive language disorder, & Stuttering.

It is common for children to have difficulties with

Social interaction skills, communication skills, & learning.

Autism

Disorder of communication, social interactions, & behaviors.

Rett syndrome is the

Development of motor, language, and social problems along with loss of previous skills.

Asperger's syndrome is

A long-lasting impairment in social interactions with repeated patterns of behaviors, interests, & activities.

Childhood disintegrative disorder

Severe regression in many areas after 2 years of normal development.

Schizophrenia is a condition associated with

Disturbing thought patterns and distorted reality.

Core disturbance of schizophrenia lies in a

Lack of contact with reality and the child retreats into their own world

Primary goals of therapeutic interventions for children with mental health issues

Early treatment & identification

Ages temper tantrums are common in

1-4

Somatoform disorders are thought to be caused from

Emotional stress & psychological triggers.

When do somatoform disorders typically begin?

BEFORE AGE 30

Somatoform disorders are typically diagnosed in which gender?

Women

Which system suffers the most due to chronic stress?

GI tract

Enuresis can often be helped by establishing and maintaining

Bedtime routines