Research uncovers new form of teenage self-mutilation.

The Chicago Tribune (12/3, Shelton) reports, “Researchers evaluating a new technique for locating and removing objects accidentally embedded in the body say they may have uncovered a new form of self-mutilating behavior in which teenagers intentionally insert objects into their flesh.” According to personnel at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, they have extracted “52 foreign objects that 10 teenage girls deliberately embedded in their arms, hands, feet, ankles, and necks over the last three years, including needles, staples, wood, stone, glass, pencil lead, and a crayon.” In fact, “one patient had inserted 11 objects, including an unfolded metal paper clip more than six inches long.” These findings were presented at a radiology meeting, and the researchers said that this is the first study “on this type of self-inflicted injury among teenagers.”
        WebMD (12/3, Laino) points out that “more common forms of self-injury include cutting the skin, burning or bruising the body, pulling hair, breaking bones, and swallowing toxic substances. In self-embedding disorder, objects are used to puncture the skin or are embedded into a wound after cutting, often causing swelling and inflammation.” Currently, it is not known “how many teens engage in self-mutilation, but it’s clear that the practice is common, especially among adolescent girls.”

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