A survey of the prevalence of stereotypy, self-injury and aggression in children and young adults with Cri du Chat syndrome

A survey of the prevalence of stereotypy, self-injury and aggression in children and young adults with Cri du Chat syndrome

Collins M S; Cornish K

Journal of Intellectual Disability Research

2002

Male; Comorbidity; Surveys and Questionnaires; Child; Humans; Adult; Adolescent; Prevalence; Female; Aggression/psychology; Cri-du-Chat Syndrome/epidemiology; Self-Injurious Behavior/epidemiology; Stereotypic Movement Disorder/epidemiology; behavior; tone and motor problems; cri-du-chat; trajectory; characteristics; stereotypy; self-injury; aggression

The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence and frequency of stereotypy, self-injurious behaviour (SIB), and aggression in children and adults with Cri du Chat syndrome (CCS), and to investigate the relationship between SIB, aggressive behaviour and stereotypy in these individuals. Sixty-six families of children and adults diagnosed with CCS completed the Behaviour Problems Inventory. Additional information relating to gender, chronological age, type of school/post-school occupation and medication was also included in the survey. Stereotyped behaviour was reported for 82% of subjects, more than half the sample displaying it on a daily basis. The occurrence percentage of 15 topographies of SIB suggested that head banging, hitting the head against body parts, self-biting and rumination are the most frequently occurring behaviours in CCS. Aggressive behaviour was reported for 88%, with a statistically significant negative correlation between age and the number of aggressive behaviours reported. The present findings suggest that specific types of stereotypy and SIB are observed frequently in CCS.

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