ABSTRACT
Background: Chronic disease such as Sickle Cell Disease [SCD] in children with a history of repeated hospitalization is distressing for children as well as parents or guardians, leading to anxiety and has bad effects on the psychological slate of children and their families
Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the overall effect of SCD on the behavior of young children age 1[1/2] -5 years old with repeated hospitalization [as an indicator for severe symptoms] compared to a control group of healthy children routine vaccination vaccination
Patients and Methods: Thirty five child with SCD and repeated /hospitalization [group I] were recruited from pediatric clinic and the same number of age and gender matched healthy children [group II] as a control group came for vaccination. Socio-demographic data, child behavior checklist [CBCL] 1[1/2] - 5 years and diagnostic and statistical manual [DSM] oriented scale were collected through a personal interview with parents/legal guardians of children in the two study groups using a structured questionnaire
Results: The children with SCD had significantly higher behavioral changes on CBCL, anxiety/depression. somatic complaint, withdrawn and aggressive behavior and internalizing symptoms [65.2 +/- 14.2. 66.7 +/- 12.6, 63.4 +/- 11.6, 60.4 +/- 10.4 and 64.7 +/- 14.7 respectively] compared to healthy control group [55.1 +/- 4.6, 54.4 +/- 3.1, 53.2 +/- 2.6, 56 +/- 6. 9 and 51.5 +/- 4.4 respectively,], DSM oriented scale showed that children with SCD scored higher in pervasive developmental and oppositional defiant problems [60.90.2 and 60.6 +/- 10.4 respectively, compared to control group [53. 9 +/- 5.4 and 56.7 +/- 2.7 respectively]
Conclusion: Young pediatric patients with SCD and history of repeated hospitalization put kids at risk for behavioral and emotional abnormalities. Good pain control, psychiatric management and support and avoidance of unpleasant experiences can ameliorate these bad effects