If a child suffers from "skin hunger syndrome", can the condition be cured by parents hugging him/her frequently?

gossip

“Is ‘skin hunger’ a disease that needs treatment?”

There is news online saying that some children suffer from "skin hunger" (also called "skin thirst") because they are rarely touched by their parents, and they need to be hugged frequently by their parents to get better.

Rumor Analysis

This statement is not rigorous.

On the one hand, "skin hunger" is not a standard medical diagnostic term, but just a description of a phenomenon. Describing it as a disease may increase anxiety. On the other hand, children do need a certain amount of contact, but it does not mean that lack of contact will definitely lead to this condition.

Recently, a 4-year-old boy became a hot topic on Weibo due to "skin hunger", which aroused public attention and discussion on the importance of physical contact in children's growth. The "conclusion" of the incident suggested that children who lack physical contact are prone to psychological problems, which caused concern among parents.

Picture from Weibo

But it is worth noting that "skin hunger" (sometimes called "skin hunger") is not a standard medical diagnostic term, but a behavioral psychology term used to describe the phenomenon of lack of emotional and physical contact, similar to the term "empty heart disease" in psychology to describe emotional emptiness. Let's talk about it in detail.

“Skin hunger”? Is it really a disease?

Skin Hunger, also known as skin hunger or touch starved, does not refer to a specific disease, but describes the emotional and psychological dissatisfaction that people may experience when they lack physical contact for a long time. It emphasizes the importance of touch as one of the basic needs of human beings in emotional development, especially in the critical stage of children's growth, physical contact (such as hugging, caressing, holding hands, etc.) can help children feel safe and emotionally supported. Although "skin hunger" reveals the value of physical contact in emotional communication, it does not mean that all children who lack contact will have serious psychological problems, and parents do not need to be overly anxious or "brainwashed" by this concept. On the contrary, we should understand the importance of children's touch and meet their emotional needs in a scientific and reasonable way.

Don’t be scared by “concepts”: anxiety is useless

With the spread of related concepts such as "skin hunger", some parents may have too much anxiety, thinking that once the child's need for touch is ignored, the child's emotional development will be seriously affected. In fact, the behavioral problems of individual children (including the children in this hot search event) are usually the result of multiple factors, including family atmosphere, parenting style, social environment, individual psychological development, etc. Self-comforting behaviors (such as biting nails) and emotional problems (such as irritability, loneliness), etc., are often the external manifestations of children's psychological pressure. Simply lack of physical contact does not lead to immediate psychological problems. Therefore, parents do not need to add extra pressure to themselves by paying too much attention to such phenomena.

Child touch is indeed important

Although skin hunger is not a medical diagnosis, the role of physical touch in children's development is scientifically proven. Touch is essential to the physical and mental development of children. It is not only a simple physical contact, but also an important way of emotional communication. It can help children establish a connection with the world at an early age and enhance their sense of security and emotional stability.

Copyrighted stock images, unauthorized reproduction Benefits of touch:

1. Emotional connection: Physical contact such as hugging and touching can enhance the emotional connection between children and their parents or caregivers, making them feel loved and warm.

2. Relieve stress: Physical contact can promote the release of related hormones in the hypothalamus, which helps to relieve stress, improve sleep and enhance happiness.

3. Promote development: Studies have shown that massage can effectively reduce pain and anxiety, make it easier for children to form stable emotions, and promote brain development and social skills. Massage for premature infants and newborns can also promote the development of the digestive system, immune system and neuropsychology, which is of great benefit to their physical health.

4. Increase sense of security: Through close contact, children can gain a sense of security and trust, laying the foundation for future psychological resilience and social skills.

A scientific and balanced approach

Every child is unique, and their emotional needs and ways of expressing are different. Parents should pay attention to the overall development of their children, not just avoiding skin hunger and increasing the frequency of physical contact. Make sure that children have enough companionship, communication and emotional support in their daily lives. This is the key to building a healthy psychology for children:

1

Appropriate physical contact

In daily life, parents can express their love and care by having close contact with their children through hugging, kissing, holding hands, etc.

2

Focus on emotional communication

In addition to physical contact, parents should pay attention to verbal communication, eye contact and emotional interaction with their children to help them build a stable emotional foundation.

3

Arrange parent-child time properly

Even if they are busy, parents should regularly take time to spend with their children. Whether through games or simple companionship, it can strengthen the parent-child relationship and allow children to feel the warmth and support of the family in a pleasant atmosphere.

4

Seek professional guidance

If necessary, parents can consult pediatricians, parenting experts, child psychologists and other professionals for advice and suggestions to promote the healthy growth of their children in a scientific way. Conclusion "Skin hunger" is not a medical diagnostic term, and parents do not need to be overly anxious about these statements. However, it is indeed important to pay attention to the physical contact and emotional communication of children during their growth, and focus on the comprehensive emotional needs of children. Through scientific and reasonable parent-child interaction and contact, parents can create a growth environment full of love and security for their children, helping them grow up healthily and happily.

Looking in the mirror of rumors

Giving things a name or even a "nickname" may help with understanding and communication, but it can sometimes have the opposite effect, increasing the anxiety of the relevant people, or leading to biased understanding and ignoring the essence of the thing due to "preconceived ideas" and "the name implies". Therefore, we should probably be more cautious in using words such as "disease" and "symptom".

References

[1] Lauren Sharkey, Karen Lamoreux. What Does It Mean to Be Touch Starved. healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/touch-starved. Updated on April 8, 2021.

[2] Kathi J Kemper. Complementary and Integrative Health in Pediatrics. UpToDate. http://www-uptodate-cn-s.webvpn.zju.edu.cn:8001/contents/zh-Hans/complementary-and-integrative-health-in-pediatrics. Accessed Nov 09, 2022.

[3] Uvnäs-Moberg K, Handlin L, Petersson M. Self-soothing behaviors with particular reference to oxytocin release induced by non-noxious sensory stimulation. Front Psychol. 2015 Jan 12;5:1529. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01529. PMID: 25628581; PMCID: PMC4290532.

[4] Haggarty CJ, Trotter PD, McGlone F, Walker SC. Children's vicarious ratings of social touch are tuned to the velocity but not the location of a caress. PLoS One. 2021 Aug 26;16(8):e0256303. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256303. PMID: 34437583; PMCID: PMC8389448.

[5]von Mohr M, Kirsch LP, Fotopoulou A. The soothing function of touch: affective touch reduces feelings of social exclusion. Sci Rep. 2017 Oct 18;7(1):13516. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-13355-7. PMID: 29044137; PMCID: PMC5647341.

[6] Edwards DJ, Young H, Cutis A, Johnston R. The Immediate Effect of Therapeutic Touch and Deep Touch Pressure on Range of Motion, Interoceptive Accuracy and Heart Rate Variability: A Randomized Controlled Trial With Moderation Analysis. Front Integr Neurosci. 2018 Sep 21;12:41. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2018.00041. Erratum in: Front Integr Neurosci. 2020 May 20;14:28. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2020.00028. PMID: 30297988; PMCID: PMC6160827.

Author: Fan Yunzhu Hangzhou Ho Yun Chia Hospital Nha Trang Clinic

Reviewer: Fan Chunlei, Associate Researcher, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences