Reactive attachment disorder of infancy or early childhood

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Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Reactive attachment disorder of infancy or early childhood

Definition:

Reactive attachment disorder is a disturbance of social interaction caused by neglect of a child's basic physical and emotional needs, particularly during infancy.

Babies placed in orphanages at birth and raised by multiple caretakers without primary parent-figures can also develop this disorder, even if physical care was adequate.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Reactive attachment disorder is caused by neglect of an infant's needs for physical safety, food, touching, and emotional bonds with a primary and/or secondary caretaker.

The risk of neglect to the infant or child is increased with parental isolation, lack of parenting skills, teen parents, or a caregiver who is mentally retarded. A frequent change in caregivers (e.g., occuring in orphanages or foster care) is another cause of reactive attachment disorder.

Children adopted from foreign orphanages are commonly affected, particularly if they were removed from their birth parents during the first weeks of life.

Review Date: 5/8/2004
Reviewed By: Katrina McPherson, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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