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Stability of psychiatric outcomes of low birth weight: a longitudinal investigation

Kipling M Bohnert1, Naomi Breslau

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine, B645 West Fee Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.

Archives of General Psychiatry
|September 3, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Low-birth-weight (LBW) children show increased risks for internalizing and externalizing problems. Attention problems are elevated in LBW children in urban settings, highlighting the impact of social environment on psychiatric outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Psychiatric Epidemiology

Background:

  • Previous research indicates low-birth-weight (LBW) children face higher risks for psychiatric disturbances.
  • Focus has often been on extremely LBW infants, with less known about broader LBW impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-term psychiatric effects of LBW in both socially disadvantaged and middle-class children.
  • To understand how LBW influences attention, internalizing, and externalizing problems over time.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study followed a stratified random sample of children assessed at ages 6, 11, and 17 years.
  • Participants included low-birth-weight and normal-birth-weight children from urban and suburban hospital settings.
  • Psychiatric problems were assessed using standardized mother and teacher reports (Child Behavior Checklist, Teacher's Report Form).

Main Results:

  • LBW children exhibited modest increases in externalizing (OR=1.53) and internalizing (OR=1.28) disturbances.
  • Attention problems were significantly higher in LBW children within the urban community (OR=2.78), particularly those with very low birth weight (<1500g).
  • No increased risk for attention problems was observed in LBW children from the suburban community; outcomes remained stable across assessment ages.

Conclusions:

  • The psychiatric effects of LBW are persistent throughout school-age years.
  • The interaction between LBW and the social environment, particularly for attention problems, suggests a combined influence of prenatal adversity and community setting.
  • Findings underscore the importance of considering socioeconomic context in understanding LBW-related developmental trajectories.
Abstract

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