nail biting and picking

Posted by michele on June 29, 1999 at 07:48:54
I have an eight year old daughter who was born with complex heart defects. She underwent five heart surguries in the first five years of her life. She has had a good result with a completed fontan and has a near normal activity level. She is in the second grade and doing well.She has lots of friends. My concern is her nail biting and skin pulling. She will bite nails and pull off hang nails until they bleed(and look very sore). She also picks at any bug bites or scabs from cuts until they bleed. BY the end of summer she will be covered in bandaids. I am very worried about the risk of infection but more so about the problem this might represent. Is this common with children who have experienced prolonged hospitalization? What can I do about this?? Should we seek professioal help?? Appreciate any info you have to offer.

Posted by HVM Ph.D. - KDK on June 29, 1999 at 11:12:21
Dear Michele,
A question I neglected to ask you in my initial reply is whether there is any family history of tic disorder. The kinds of behaviors you describe can be examples of complex tics, and are difficult to distinguish from compulsive habits. In any case, this is an additional issue of differential diagnosis that can be addressed via an evaluation.