Very little information has been published about 2- and a-year-old children
who have experienced major burns. This study used a standardized instrumen
t to measure the behavioral adjustment of these young burn survivors, and t
he results were compared with those of a nonclinical normative sample. Thir
ty-three pediatric burn survivors with 50% +/- 28% total body surface area
burns were evaluated 1.2 +/- 0.7 years postburn. Parental observations were
assessed with the use of the Child Behavior Checklist for 2- and 3-Year-Ol
ds, a 99-item standardized checklist designed to identify behavior problems
. Forty of the questions are specific to 2- and 3-year-olds, and the scores
of male and female children are not differentiated. The raw scores of the
children with burns were statistically compared with the reported normative
sample for this version of the Child Behavior Checklist. Pediatric burn su
rvivors in this sample exhibited significantly more internalizing behaviors
than the children in the normative group. Parents reported children who ha
d been burned to be more depressed and to have more somatic complaints and
sleep problems. Determining the relationship of behavior problems to posttr
auma sequelae and preburn environmental factors would assist with the estab
lishment of appropriate psychosocial interventions.