Mothers of children who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have symptoms comparable to those of their sick children. This is the first time that families of healthy children and families of children with CFS have been compared.
Pediatrician Elise van de Putte of the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital (part of UMC Utrecht) described these results in the article “Mirrored Symptoms in Mother and Child With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” in the June issue of the American journal Pediatrics.
In her study, Van de Putte compared the parents of 40 children with CFS between the ages of 12 and 18 with the parents of 36 healthy children. No fewer than nine mothers of children with CFS reported fatigue that was just as severe as in adults with chronic fatigue syndrome. In addition to symptoms of fatigue, most mothers also reported more psychological problems like anxiety and depression. None of the fathers had these symptoms.
Van de Putte's research made no claims about what causes these similar problems in mother and child. Although the problems of the mother may be a reaction to the child’s problems, the reverse is also possible. They could also be explained by genetic or environmental factors they have in common.
More information: UMC Utrecht, Intern- and Extern Communication
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