Demography of pediatric behavioral disorders

Behavioral disorders of children and adolescents have long been a subject of discussion among researchers of pedology, psychology, medicine and psychiatry and are also a commonly encountered complaint of patients referring to the pediatric neurology out patient clinics. The main purpose of the present study is to survey some organic disorders, e.g. temporal lobe epilepsy (non convulsive seizures) and to investigate the role of some trace element deficiencies, in particular iron deficiency on the development of behavioral disorders seen in children. In this study all patients referring to the Imam Khomeini pediatric neurology out patient clinic with the chief complaint of behavioral problems, between October 1996 and January 1998 were enrolled; they were individually interviewed and underwent physical examinations, completing the relevant questionnaires. Overall 139 patients (92boys and 47 girls) were enrolled and the data were analyzed using SPSS and Harvard''s graphic package. Analysis revealed that the most common behavioral disorders documented were: Sleep problems, in 38 patients (27.3%), Irritability in 37(26.6%), aggressiveness in 28 (20.1%) staring in 27 (19.4%), altercation in 27(19.4%). Non psychiatric problem was seen in 77 patients (62.6%); neurological examinations in 36(25.9%) revealed abnormal findings; 103 patients (74-8%) had abnormal findings in other systems. 105 patients (76.6%) had abnormal EEG and 72 of them (51.9%) had abnormal findings in brain imaging. Iron deficiency was found in 88 (63.2%) of the patients. According to these findings, treatment of organic disorders in patients with behavioral problems, can lead to partial or total control of their problems, which could otherwise result in major disturbances and disruptions in their own and in their family’s lives.