Development in children following abuse and nonorganic failure to thrive
R. K. Oates, A. Peacock and D. Forrest
Thirty-nine children who had been abused an average of 5 1/2 years earlier
and 14 children who had been admitted to the hospital with nonorganic
failure to thrive (NOFTT) 13 years earlier were studied to look at
similarities and differences in their development. Each group was studied
in relation to a comparison group matched for age, sex, social class, and
ethnic background. The abused children and those with NOFTT were similar in
their language ability, and were significantly behind their comparison
groups in language development, reading age, and verbal intelligence. The
abused children, but not the group who had NOFTT, were significantly behind
their comparison group in general intelligence, interpersonal relations,
and self-concept, but in contrast to the children with NOFTT they were not
delayed in social maturity. The long-term adverse sequelae of these two
conditions emphasize the need for a long-term, child-centered approach.
