[1] As a result, abandoned children may also suffer physical trauma, which may stem from factors such as neglect, malnutrition, starvation, and abuse.
[4] Abandoned child syndrome is not currently recognized as a mental disorder in popular medical manuals like the ICD-10,[5] DSM-IV,[6] or DSM-5.
This can lead children to manifest symptoms such as a worry of being abandoned, feeling anxious when dropped off at a daycare, school, or family member's house, clinginess, or even being ill but not showing the physical attributes of being ill. Children who have experienced the loss of a caregiver or parent may also experience more drastic symptoms in their life such as an addiction to drugs or harmful substances, eating disorders, and self-harmful thoughts and actions.
[9] When children are raised without the psychological or physical protection they need, they may internalize a substantial amount of fear, which is also referred to as chronic loss.
[10][better source needed] As the child grows older, these internalizations can lead to them physically hurting themselves, or getting into drugs and alcohol.