Relevance of Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale for Infants With Somatic Disorders: Comparison on One Matched Group of Control

Objective: To compare the Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale results in two groups of infants with or without somatic disorder (N = 26).Method: The Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale was administered to two groups (clinical and control) of 13 infants each, aged from 5 to 18 weeks, matched 2 by 2 according to sex, age, rank among siblings, and parental socio-professional category. The first group includes infants with somatic disorder (clinical) and is matched with a second group of “healthy infants” (control).Results: Results indicate that the mean score of the control group is significantly higher than that of the clinical group. Most of the items are affected by the presence of a somatic disorder. Indeed, five out of the six categories present a statistically significant difference in favor of the control group, more specifically for the items “state regulation,” “motor system,” and “orientation/interaction.”Conclusion: This exploratory research enables a precise description of infants' difficulty in regulating excitations and the impact of somatic disorders on their development. This innovative knowledge will assist pediatricians and health professionals in the understanding of infants' characteristics to develop an adapted-care.

Physiotherapy and Human Relations

In this paper on psycho-somatic disorders, Winnicott begins by acknowledging the vastness of the subject. Psycho-somatic disorder merges into the universal problem of the healthy interaction between the psyche and the soma—that is, between the personality of an individual and the body in which the person lives. The relationship between body and mind, role of early development and stages of emotional development are also discussed.

Additional Note on Psycho-Somatic Disorder

In this note, Winnicott recounts the session of a female patient in relation to the clinical picture of the obscure connection of chronic skin conditions to psychotic disorders of the mind. Depersonalization and the skin as the boundary of the self are also discussed.

Psycho-somatic Disorder Reconsidered

In the final chapter, Winnicott reconsiders psycho-somatic disorder by using two examples: asthma and gastric ulcer. He suggests that asthma studies indicate the condition to be related to environmental factors and to the child’s management of fantasies of love and hate—and possibly to very early birth and breathing difficulties, although Winnicott states that asthma has still not been fully understood. With gastric ulcer, emotional stress and frequent overactivity, as a manic defence against depression, are factors which may bring about the physical condition. Again, unmanageable conflict over love and hate in fantasy may be relevant.

Excitement in the Aetiology of Coronary Thrombosis

Winnicott’s notes for a lecture. In a survey of psycho-somatic disorder, coronary thrombosis provides a good example of it but there is still the question of physiology. The common state of affairs in men and women who like to link their instinctual experiences with the enrichment of relationships is that many excitements must remain unrequited, and must find a way of dying down. Here Winnicott considers the physiology of such a psycho-somatic disorder as coronary thrombosis.

Interest of admission clinical and paraclinical examinations for the detection of organic comorbidities in psychiatry

IntroductionSomatic comorbidities in patients with mental disorders have become an important issue. They complicate therapeutic management and aggravate the prognosis.ObjectivesOutline the nature of somatic disorders observed in psychiatry and assess the different interactions between psychiatric pathologies and organic diseases.MethodsWe conducted a descriptive retrospective study including 60 patients hospitalized in a psychiatry department during 2 years (2013 and 2014). We included patients having presented a somatic disorder at their admission. Data collection was based on psychiatric and clinical observations.ResultsAt the admission, somatic examination was abnormal in 53.3% of cases: skin abnormalities 28.3%; blood pressure abnormalities 8.3%. An abnormality of the initial biological tests has been reported in 51.7% of patients: leukocytosis 18.3%; liver test abnormalities 13.3%; hematologic abnormalities 8.3%. The electro-cardiograph was pathologic in 35% of cases. These anomalies have required advices from medical and surgical services: cardiology 33.3%; endocrinology 10%, orthopedics 10%. The relationship between somatic and psychiatric pathology was: a comorbidity: 55%; a side effect of psychotropic drug: 5%; an organic origin of the psychiatric disorder: 6.6% and a somatic disorder secondary to the psychiatric pathology: 10%. In the course of this investigation, 6.6% of patients were transferred urgently to a specialist department, the psychotropic treatment was stopped in 10% of cases, and a therapeutic adjustment was necessary in 6.6% of cases.ConclusionOur study confirms the importance of somatic assessment of patients with mental illnesses. This must be a systematic practice in order to detect in time patients at risk of somatic complications.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.