Childs reaction to mothers abortion: case report.

This psychiatric report is of a case of family members being affected by the choice of abortion within it. A 5-year-old child was referred for psychiatric evaluation because of aggressive behavior toward his young female sibling poor peer relationships and multiple tics. 2 factors seemed most important in the playing out of the emotional sequelae of this therapeutic abortion: quality of mothering and influence of the abortion. This boy had unknown maternal care from a grandmother with whom he lived after his father died while his mother was pregnant and she decided to terminate the pregnancy. The child was hospitalized himself a few months after the abortion and this probably also was a factor in his behavioral disturbances and intrapsychic conflict. His mother subsequently became pregnant again and carried this child to term. The boy attacked his younger sibling soon after the sibling was brought home from the hospital. It is speculated that the abortion contributed to the boys intrapsychic conflict in that he viewed his mothers abortion which was mutilative surgery in his mind as the punishment for aggressive and hostile impulses and via identification with the aggressor viewed himself as mutilated and castrated.