I received this information today.
APA stands for American Psychological Association and they just had a convention in San Francisco where a researcher, Dr. Ruthruff presented the following:
Ruthruff L, et al “The Effects of Bone Marrow Transplantation on Infant Psychosocial Development” American Psychological Association Convention Program 2007; Session 2300, p 191.
This study was published as a poster at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary as they have not yet been reviewed and published in a peer-reviewed publication.
…
The long isolation inherent in the procedure is the culprit, said Linda Ruthruff, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow in infant development at San Francisco General Hospital.
“Infants younger than two at the time of bone marrow transplantation are at risk of declines in IQ and for slowing the rate of acquisition of developmental skills,” she and colleagues reported at the American Psychological Association meeting here.
However, Dr. Ruthruff said her study of 54 infants who underwent the procedure for cancer or immunological diseases indicated that factors related to lessening of impairment is related to a younger age and a shorter period of isolation.
“Our study specifically examined how bone-marrow transplantation procedures impact the communication and socialization skills of these children,” she said at her poster presentation.
“While survival of these children is improving,” Dr. Ruthruff said, “we need to know if therapeutic interventions can improve functioning if outcomes are poor. There is very little information in the bone-marrow transplantation literature regarding infant outcome. We know family life is disrupted.”
AT – Disrupted indeed… Medicine needs a change of focus from the use of chemicals to the use of new cells. I can say that during and after transplant we felt like hermits with a webpage.
Dr. Ruthruff and researchers at the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology and the University of California at San Francisco said that their exploration of the psychosocial development of these children revealed significant deficits in IQ development, declines in behavior scores, and impaired communication skills.
AT – I can say that Andy is shy and he feels overwhelmed when he’s in the spotlight.
“The process of bone marrow transplantation usually involves a long period of compromised immunity and potential neurotoxic procedures,” Dr. Ruthruff noted. “The infant is kept in medical isolation at the hospital for periods ranging from a few days to six or more months. When the infant returns home, isolation and social restrictions continue for a period lasting from a few months to a year. Sanitation and prevention of the introduction of germs into the home environment severely curtail the infant’s and family’s activities.”
AT – I took betadine showers…
“Many infants are exposed to high-dose ablative chemotherapies and/or total body radiation to prepare their body for the new bone marrow. Some were previously exposed to multiple courses of chemotherapy. Some are given agents to prevent and/or treat graft-versus-host disease.”
AT – Patients should receive their own new functioning cells.
The results of this study are not surprising,” said Jacqueline Lefkowitz, LCSW, a master social work clinician at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College. “Events occurring in the earliest stage of life play a crucial role in the cognitive and emotional development of children.”
AT – I wonder what effect will 700 + days in the hospital have in my 8 year old son.
Lefkowitz said that cancer and cancer treatments are often traumatic. “Traumatic experiences strongly influence psychosocial development,” she added. “However, all experiences are mediated by the parents or the primary attachment figures.”
She recommended further studies into “whether parents’ coping styles influence the interactions with their child and whether, in turn, these interactions also play a significant role in the child’s growth and development.”
ATF – Someone should study blogging parents..
Link to APA Conference.
Link to conference report by Ed Susman here.
