Case Study: Maternal Residual Attention Deficit Disorder Associated with Failure to Thrive in a Two-Month-Old Infant

Abstract

A male infant was admitted twice during his second month of life for failure to thrive. An extensive organic workup was unremarkable. During the second admission, the pediatric inpatient psychiatry team was consulted. Evaluation led to the diagnosis of residual attention deficit disorder in the mother. Inattention and impulsivity hampered mother's ability to feed the child. Successful treatment of mother's residual attention deficit disorder with methylphenidate led to significant improvement in the infant's feeding, subsequent weight gain, and observed maternal-child interaction.