Rachel Pearson--writing in an article on the
vulnerable child syndrome in The New Yorker--claims that "scheduling an early follow-up is as important as doing a detailed exam and having a broad differential diagnosis" ("The Durable Feeling That a Child is Always at Risk," June 10, 2019).
A "vulnerable child syndrome" has been proposed as a possible consequence of severe illness (Green & Solnit, 1964).
Reactions to the threatened loss of a child: A vulnerable child syndrome. Pediatrics, 34, 58-66.
Others add that traditional phototherapy interrupts breastfeeding and parent-infant bonding, and may contribute to "
vulnerable child syndrome," a condition in which parents of babies treated for jaundice view their children as "sickly," often seeking a disproportionate amount of medical attention during the first few years of life.
-- Vulnerable child syndrome is a recognizable clinical problem that the actions or inaction of pediatricians can help perpetuate, Dr.
Vulnerable child syndrome (VCS) also can cause dysfunctional development and behavior in an otherwise healthy child.
One month after discharge 42% of the mothers had stopped breast-feeding, compared to only 19% of mothers whose babies didn't have "vulnerable child syndrome." Mothers whose babies had neonatal jaundice are more likely to be heavy users of the health care system.
Perhaps its most serious consequence is the disruption it causes in maternal-infant bonding, the increased chances of cessation of breast-feeding, and the development of the vulnerable child syndrome.
The
Vulnerable Child Syndrome Parents who believe their children have suffered a "close call" tend to be overly protective of their children.