maternal deprivation syndrome [L, maternus, motherhood, deprivare, to deprive; Gk, syn, together, dromos, course] , a condition characterized by developmental delay that occurs as a result of physical or emotional deprivation. It is seen primarily in infants. Typical symptoms include lack of physical growth, with weight below the third percentile for age and size; malnutrition; pronounced withdrawal; silence; apathy; irritability; and a characteristic posture and body language, featuring unnatural stiffness and rigidity with a slow response reaction to others. Causes of the syndrome are usually multiple and complex, involving such factors as parental indifference; emotional instability or insecurity of the mother; lack of or delayed development of the mother-child attachment process; unrealistic expectations or disappointment concerning the sex, appearance, or adaptability of the child; or unfavorable socioeconomic conditions within the family. Treatment often requires hospitalization, especially in cases of severe malnutrition. Care includes assessment of the family situation, and treatment often involves psychotherapy, counseling, or special nursing instruction to help the parents learn to deal with and provide for the child. The nature and extent of the effects of the condition on later physical, emotional, intellectual, and social development vary considerably and depend on the age at which deprivation occurs, the degree and duration of the situation, the child’s constitutional makeup, and the substituted care that is provided. Emotionally deprived children often remain below normal in intellectual development, fail to learn acceptable social behavior, and are unable to form trusting, meaningful relationships with others. In severe cases of early and prolonged deprivation, the damage to an infant may be irreversible. See also failure to thrive.
