Passing away without love

[mBLACK]

I was reading my book about life in the womb etc., and I came across a section that states that children can literally die from not receiving a hug/love from their parents and it's referred to as 'failure to thrive'. I was just curious if anybody knows if this is true or not, it sparks my interest and it's amazing how the heart needs love to survive.
Anybody?

 

[brownhairedmom]

Hmmm I dunno if they can actually physically die, but Maslow's heirarchy of needs states that love and affection is a critical component for self-actualization (can you tell I've been in school for far too long? I'm using sociology stuff to rationalize love )

I think it is possible for a child to have a dampened spirit and not thrive and develop as well as they should without love and affection, but as for physically die, I'm not so sure.

 

[mBLACK]

That kind of goes with the whole dying from loneliness thing, or dying from a broken heart I guess, I've heard of all of them happening but not sure if it's actually TRUE.

 

[pepperflake]

From what I recall from sociology and psych classes, yes, people, especially infants and the elderly, can die from a lack of love. I think its called an inorganic failure to thrive.

 

[Starling]

Wow, interesting. I wonder what actually happens in the body when that happens.

 

[lifeguard]

Failure to thrive is very common in overpacked orphanages. The babies just waste away without enough meaningful human contact. Very sad.

 

[nikky0907]

Hmmm I dunno if they can actually physically die, but Maslow's heirarchy of needs states that love and affection is a critical component for self-actualization (can you tell I've been in school for far too long? I'm using sociology stuff to rationalize love )

I think it is possible for a child to have a dampened spirit and not thrive and develop as well as they should without love and affection, but as for physically die, I'm not so sure.

Yeah,but Maslow's theory also states that one of the component can be substituted with another.I mean it is one of the basics but when it comes to the heirarchy pyramid it can be on the bottom because it is substituted with another component. (Aren't we brainy!)

For example,love and affection can be pushed down by your need to prove yourself so I highy doubt that a child can die.Sure issues can be formed but physically dying has never been recorded.

If there were I'd probably be dead by now so would my sister since we were about as loved as two gold fishes by our parents...

 

[cupcake]

as an early childhood major i can agree with this we also learned it in psych, children can die from lack of physcial contact that shows comfort and affection or they can become severely mentally unstable from it and withdraw into just sitting and rocking back and forth or staring blankly. its very very sad , studies were done on it after ww2 ( world war 2) i think of children in orphanages who suffered from just being picked up changed and fed without any show of affection. breaks your heart..

 

[Ema]

Wow very interesting......

p.s look at all the smartie pants XX

 

[polo_princess]

Wow very interesting......

p.s look at all the smartie pants XX

Thats what i thought!!

Really interesting subject though ..

 

[cupcake]

smartie pants...
smarties... i like smarties... i like chocolate..
i have pregnancy brain....

 

[Shri]

smartie pants...
smarties... i like smarties... i like chocolate..
i have pregnancy brain....

 

[Beltane]

Yes- I have heard one of my girlfriends telling me about this. She saw it on the hospital tv after she gave birth. I think its very valid.

 

[Mango]

This is a really interesting thread. Makes me want o give my lil one even more hugs than normal but she might have a fit if I smother her too much lol. I agree with Nikky though. It has been shown that if one need is not met while another is filled excessively, that fulfilled need may be seen to be of higher importance.

But to think of a child dying from a lack of luv is in itself heart breaking!!!

 

[mBLACK]

In my book it also states that that was the main cause of death in infants somethin like a hundred years ago, something to do with a war or something, will fill you in once I find my book.
It would make sense that you could go into withdrawl from not getting enough love or touch from people, and you going into a mental state of not eating etc. much like people do when they're depressed and THAT could kill you.. Maybe it could lead to death from that?

 

[Blah11]

That kind of goes with the whole dying from loneliness thing, or dying from a broken heart I guess, I've heard of all of them happening but not sure if it's actually TRUE.

Oh dying of a broken heart defo happens. I work in an hospital specifically for the elderly and a lot of patients are recently widowed. They just give up. It's really sad b/c a lot of them DO die.

 

[Tilly]

Very sad