Unusual Psychiatric Syndromes:  An Occasional Series

 The Adult Baby Syndrome
 

Mr. A, a 35-year- old single Caucasian man, consulted a psychiatrist with a complaint that "I am supposed to be a 35-year-old, but I want to be a baby. I won't ever get married or have kids if I am stuck as a baby." His desire to be a baby interfered with his interpersonal relationships.

Dressed like a baby

The patient arrived for his appointment dressed as a child in Winnie the Pooh overall shorts and a Winnie the Pooh shirt. He spoke in a soft, childlike voice and had a strong odor of baby powder. He had a pacifier in his pants pocket and a diaper bag which contained a baby bottle, bib, baby blanket, and adult diapers.

Mr. A's history

Mr. A had wanted to be a baby since age 12. He began wearing diapers secretly at age 17, but occasionally wore his baby clothes in public. He stated that he wanted "to be taken care of by a mommy who can hold me and rock me and give me a bottle."

Sexual stimulation from wearing diapers

Mr. A was socially isolated and spent most of his free time at home engaging in baby activities. He wore diapers and baby clothes, slept in a crib, drank from a bottle, ate baby food, and played with blocks, cars, and Play-Doh. Mr. A was sexually stimulated by wearing his diapers and masturbated while wearing them several times a day. He also urinated and defecated while wearing his diapers.

Functions normally at work

Mr. A worked in law enforcement and lived alone in an apartment. He did not feel like a baby at work. He was adopted and had no history of medical problems, childhood abuse, depression, anxiety, or psychosis. He described his sexual orientation as heterosexual but had never had a sexual relationship.

Bizarre behavior in the psychiatrist's office

During the psychiatric interview, Mr. A seemed anxious and embarrassed. During the interview he lay down, sucked his bottle and stared seductively at the female psychiatrist. He made little progress in psychotherapy and eventually terminated therapy after stating that he liked being a baby and was not sure he wanted to change.

"Adult babies" may be more common than we think

The adult baby syndrome is thought to be rare and is not yet included in psychiatric textbooks. However, the syndrome may be more common than we realize. Psychiatrists may not see many adult babies, but the most likely explanation is that adult babies generally don't believe that anything is wrong with them and are unlikely to seek treatment. Hundreds of internet websites give adult babies opportunities to meet and play together, chat online, view photos and videos, and buy supplies such as plastic pants, adult baby clothes, cribs, baby furniture, bottles, and diapers. Many of these websites are overtly sexual and advertise adult baby-sitting services, dominatrix services, and the like.

What type of psychiatric disorder is the adult baby syndrome?

The wish to be treated as a baby is reminiscent of the sadomasochistic wish to be abused by a dominating individual. The adult baby syndrome might best be considered a paraphilia. A paraphilia is a form of sexual deviance involving sexual arousal by unusual and bizarre imagery or acts.  The acts and imagery might include inanimate objects, pain and humiliation, children, or other unwilling or unsuitable partners.  Voyeurism and pedophilia are examples of paraphilias.

Professional help is not always helpful

You may wonder what happened to Mr. A. Don't you suspect that his life has probably not changed much? Professional help is not always helpful, and the physician should obey Hippocrates' injunction "to cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always."

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