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Correspondence to: Dr L Ross Department of Community Child Health, Ward 5B, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow G3 8SJ, UK; [email protected]
The term masturbation is derived from the Latin words manus, meaning “hand” and stupratio, meaning “defilement”. One presumes historically therefore that it was a practice thought to be unclean. It is accepted now that masturbation is a normal part of human sexual behaviour.
There is little published on gratification disorder (masturbation) in early childhood. Masturbation, or self-stimulation of the genitalia is a common human behaviour, said to occur in 90–94% of males and 50–60% of females at some time in their lives.1
Paediatricians are in general aware of the fact that infantile and pre-adolescent masturbatory activity occurs, but are perhaps less aware of the spectrum of different behaviour patterns these children may display. Masturbatory activity in infants and young children is difficult to recognise because it often does not involve manual stimulation of the genitalia at all.4
Masturbatory behaviour has been mistaken for epilepsy,2,3 abdominal pain,4,5 and paroxysmal dystonia or dyskinesia.6 Case reports have also highlighted that these children have many unwarranted investigations: blood analyses, metabolic screening, abdomen ultrasound screening, gastrointestinal radiography,2 cerebrospinal fluid examination, skull x ray examination, brain scan,3 pyelography, and cystoscopy-vaginoscopy-proctoscopy under general anaesthesia.4 Treatment with antiepileptic medications has been given on several occasions.2,3,6
This study aims to highlight and expand on the profile of patients diagnosed with this condition.
METHODS
Children were identified retrospectively from those referred to the Fraser of Allander Neurosciences Unit, a tertiary neurology referral centre covering primarily the West of Scotland, between the years 1972 and 2002. In the 30 year period studied a database was maintained for all children who were reviewed in the unit according to diagnosis. A retrospective case note study was carried out in those children with the diagnostic labels of gratification disorder and/or infantile masturbation.
RESULTS
Thirty one patients were studied (11 males and 20 females). Eighteen came from homes where the parents were married/co-habiting; in four cases there was a single parent. There was no social class bias. Significant past medical histories were one child each with reflex anoxic seizures, neonatal seizures (undiagnosed), and megalencephaly.