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Infantilism: genital, psychological, social
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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In medicine, the term infantilism (in the exact translation from Latin, infantia means “infancy”) refers to one of the developmental disorders in which adults and children exhibit physical or physiological parameters, mental or behavioral characteristics that are clearly inappropriate for their age. [ 1 ]
Epidemiology
According to statistics, physical retardation caused by a lack of hormones accounts for almost 10% of the total number of growth disorders and infantilism.
The approximate prevalence of congenital hypogonadism in the population is 1:10 thousand, Shereshevsky-Turner syndrome - in one of 2-5 thousand women; Kallmann syndrome in boys - 1:8 thousand, in girls - 1:40 thousand; Klinefelter syndrome is detected in one of 650-800 newborn boys.
The incidence of congenital hypothyroidism is estimated at one case in 3600-4500 infants.
Causes infantilism
Experts associate the main causes of infantilism with delays or certain deviations in the development of a child, teenager or adult.
Normally, during physical interaction with the environment, a set of inherited reflexes of infants develops into more coordinated actions, and by the age of one and a half years, the child tries to solve physical problems meaningfully, has stable attachments, shows interest and is able to adequately express his emotions.
However, there may be delays in physical development and the formation of cognitive, emotional, and intellectual abilities, which cause a discrepancy with age norms known in pediatrics – infantilism in children.
The etiology of this immaturity, including in adulthood, is considered depending on its form - as a syndrome of infantilism.
Thus, physiological or physical infantilism, classified by ICD-10 as a section of symptoms, signs and deviations from the norm – as the absence of expected normal physiological development in children and adults (with code R62.5), can occur:
- due to placental insufficiency during pregnancy (leading to fetal hypoxia and ontogenesis disorders);
- in the presence of intrauterine developmental defects (in particular, the hypothalamic-pituitary region of the brain and thyroid gland - with neuroendocrine disorders);
- with insufficient secretion of growth hormone somatotropin (STH);
- due to genetic abnormalities (including those of the anterior pituitary gland that produces hormones);
- as a result of hereditary mitochondrial diseases.
And infantilism and mental retardation can be associated with both perinatal encephalopathy and neuroendocrine and/or chromosomal syndromes. [ 2 ]
Risk factors
Risk factors for delays or deviations in a child's development, leading to one or another type of infantilism, are considered to be:
- constitutional-genetic predisposition;
- deficiency of hormones that ensure metabolism and processes of embryonic ontogenesis;
- teratogenic effects on the fetus of toxic substances or drugs taken during pregnancy, as well as birth injuries that can lead to cerebral edema in the newborn;
- intrauterine developmental anomalies and congenital defects;
- infectious diseases fraught with complications suffered at an early age;
- psychotraumatic impact (childhood abuse, death of the child’s father or mother);
- psychosocial factors, including pedagogical and/or socio-psychological neglect, increased parental demands and, conversely, parental overprotection. permissiveness, indulgence in whims, etc.
Child psychologists see a serious threat of infantilization of normally developed children and adolescents in the widespread passion for computer games and the replacement of live communication with peers with virtual contacts on social networks.
Pathogenesis
The mechanism of developmental disorders due to deficiency of growth hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland is associated with a decrease in a number of other growth factors and a disruption of the entire biochemical chain of ensuring the processes of protein synthesis, glucose metabolism, and the production of hormones (gonadotropic, thyrotropic, adrenocorticotropic).
The presence of congenital hypothyroidism leads to a deficiency of thyroid hormones, which also causes a delay in the development of most body systems, including the central nervous system.
The pathogenesis of some conditions leading to individual forms of infantilism is discussed in the publications:
Symptoms infantilism
With a deficiency of somatotropin, physical infantilism is manifested by body proportions that are inappropriate for age (a narrow chest, thin bones and weak muscles), underdevelopment of some organs and delayed puberty.
In children with congenital hypothyroidism, the first signs of physical infantilism also manifest as growth retardation and bone age disorders.
Despite all the clinical heterogeneity, the symptoms and most characteristic signs of mental infantilism (which can be identified only with the onset of primary school or early adolescence) include age-inappropriate behavior with increased sensitivity and mood swings, superficial judgments and fantasizing, inability to concentrate and make decisions, egocentrism with simultaneous dependence on the actions and opinions of others.
Manifestations of intellectual infantilism include disturbances of attention, perception and concentration; inertia of thinking, fixation on one thought (perseveration) and difficulties with switching the thought process.
Children with neurotic infantilism are timid and impressionable, very attached to their mother and not inclined to demonstrate independence. Signs of emotional immaturity of personality, first of all, are considered to be impulsiveness, inability to control their emotions and their inadequate manifestation (children often cry for minor reasons, take offense at fair comments from elders, get angry and throw tantrums), as well as the inability to understand the feelings of other people.
The symptoms of genital infantilism in men were named above, and in teenage girls and women there are three degrees of genital infantilism:
- infantilism of the 1st degree – with a rudimentary state of the uterus and amenorrhea (absence of menstruation);
- infantilism of the 2nd degree – with a uterine body diameter of no more than 30 mm and irregular, scanty and painful menstruations;
- infantilism of the 3rd degree – with a slightly reduced uterus and practically normal, but often painful, periods.
Forms
In addition to the already mentioned physical one, a number of other types or forms of infantilism are distinguished, and each of them has its own causes - obvious or hidden.
When general development (physical, mental and psychological) is delayed, psychophysical infantilism is defined. Depending on the degree of developmental delay of the child and the characteristics of its manifestations, a distinction is made between: harmonious infantilism (if physical and mental development is proportionally delayed and its manifestations do not go beyond the emotional-volitional sphere) and disharmonious infantilism, which is a specific disorder of personality development with psychopathic behavioral deviations.
Developmental delays against the background of systemic diseases of internal organs and pathologies of general metabolism can be defined as somatic infantilism or somatogenic infantilism. For example, with congenital hypothyroidism, as well as extreme thyroid dysfunction - myxedema, many metabolic processes are disrupted in the body, negatively affecting its development.
Complications and consequences
Problems with fertility and reproductive function with the inability to become pregnant are complications and consequences of genital infantilism of 1-2 degrees in women.
With intellectual infantilism, a serious decline in the academic performance of children and adolescents is observed.
Personal or psychological infantilism in relationships threatens any interpersonal and intrafamily connections and social contacts. In addition to difficulties with adaptation to the rules of society, adolescents with disharmonious mental infantilism have distorted personality formation and general motivation, and adults may develop a personality disorder, develop anxiety-depressive states, and aggravate the psychopathic type of behavior.
Diagnostics infantilism
Clinical diagnostics of personality, mental and neurotic infantilism can cause certain difficulties in identifying specific disorders that underlie this deviation.
Based on the anamnesis, existing symptoms and diagnostic criteria, the psychiatrist conducts a test for infantilism, which includes a scale for assessing psychopathological symptoms (negative and positive), various psychophysical and behavioral tests, including the level of logical thinking, memory, reaction speed, etc.
When parents contact a doctor about a child’s developmental delay, an X-ray of the hand is prescribed to determine the bone age, as well as blood tests to determine the level of various hormones (STH, TSH, ACTH, etc.).
Laboratory tests are also necessary for diagnosing disorders of the reproductive system (underdevelopment of the genitals), as well as for clarifying the syndromic deviations in the anamnesis. Then a karyotype analysis is performed, as well as the level of thyroid-stimulating, sex and other hormones in the blood.
Differential diagnosis
Differential diagnosis includes borderline personality disorder, mental retardation, Angelman syndrome, emotional disorders (including hyperthymia) and other types of neurocognitive pathologies.
More information in the materials:
Treatment infantilism
No doctor can accelerate physical, mental or psycho-emotional development, and infantilism of psychological and mental origin becomes a persistent characteristic of the personality.
A child psychologist will tell parents what to do if their child is lagging behind in development. And an experiencedpsychotherapist, who has a method such as cognitive behavioral therapy in his arsenal, will advise how to get rid of infantilism.
What therapeutic measures help to cope with emotional instability of children and adults with infantilism, read in the publication - Syndrome of increased emotional lability.
Treatment of hypogonadism, functional disorders of the adrenal cortex, dysfunction of the thyroid gland or hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction, etiologically associated with impaired development of the genitals and sexual development, consists of prescribing long-term (often lifelong) hormone replacement therapy.
Prevention
Since genetically related diseases account for almost half of cases of moderate mental retardation and more than a third of cases of developmental delay in children, prevention may involve medical genetic counseling when planning a pregnancy.
Forecast
Psychologists believe that proper upbringing can significantly improve the prognosis of harmonious infantilism in children. But the immaturity of an adult's personality often shapes a lifestyle - frivolous, carefree and irresponsible.
Psychogenic pathological infantilism can lead to passive confrontation with society. And the inability to make independent decisions, the inability to think over one's actions and weigh their possible consequences makes a person an easy target for various manipulations, including criminal ones.