Infantilism (obsolete usage)

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In medicine, Infantilism is an obsolete term for various, often unrelated forms of disorder of human development, up to developmental disability, which consist in retention of the physical and/or psychological characteristics of early develepmental stages (infant, child) into a relatively advanced age. [1]

Various types of infantilism were recognized, lumped together on the above superfical description. With better understanding of the works of the endocrine system and genetic disorders various disorders which included the word "infantilism" received other names. For example, Brissaud's infantilism", described by Édouard Brissaud in 1907 is now known as myxedema (a form of hypothyroidism), "intestinal infantilism" of Christian Archibald Herter is called coeliac disease. The Turner syndrome was described as "a syndrome of infantilism" by Henry Turner himself.[2]

Terms such as "genital infantilism" (infantilism in development of genitals, hypogenitalism), or "sexual infantilism" (lack of sexual development after expected puberty) may still be seen, considered to be synonyms of hypogonadism. "Somatic infantilism" refers to infantilism of overall bodily development.


[edit] References

  1. ^ Ronald Grey Gordon (a 1999 reprint) "Personality", Routledge, ISBN 0415210577, p.77
  2. ^ Turner HH. (1938). A syndrome of infantilism, congenital webbed neck, and cubitus valgus. Endocrinology. 23:566-574.
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