Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2005, 206(2)

Social Adaptation of Children with Congenital Fecal Dysfunction: From the Viewpoint of the Mother-Child Relationship

SYUNICHI FUNAKOSI, JUNKO HAYASHI,¹ TAKAMICHI KAMIYAMA,² TAKASHI UENO,³ TOMOHIRO ISHII,² MOTOSHI WADA,² YUTAKA HAYASHI² and HIROO MATSUOKA

Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, ¹Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, ²Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, ³Division of Clinical Psychology, Department of Human Development and Disabilities, Graduate School of Education, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan

Excretory dysfunction associated with congenital anal anomalies (a generic term that includes anal atresia and Hirschsprung's disease) is presumed to greatly affect the psychology of the affected children. In this study, we conducted a survey on the psychological status of children with excretory dysfunction, and investigated the relationship between the affected children and their families in addition to their social life. Four children with fecal dysfunction due to a congenital anal anomaly and their mothers were interviewed. The results of psychological tests in the children and mothers along with our findings in the interviews with the children and mothers, were included in the data analysis. We found that regardless of the degree of excretory dysfunction, the child's state of mind was influenced by whether the mother exhibited warmth or criticism towards her child and whether there was a support system for the mother and child. We suggest that psychiatric consultation is necessary for these children.

keywords —— fecal dysfunction; anal atresia; Hirschsprung's disease; child-mother relationship; liaison psychiatric medicine

© 2005 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Corespondence: Syunichi Funakosi, Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Seiryomachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.

e-mail: fwkc9137@infoweb.ne.jp