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Psychopathology in young adults born at extremely low birth weight

M H Boyle1, V Miskovic, R Van Lieshout

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. boylem@mcmaster.ca

Psychological Medicine
|December 8, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Young adults born at extremely low birth weight (ELBW) report higher levels of internalizing problems like depression and anxiety. This risk is greater for those born small for gestational age (SGA).

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal Medicine
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Long-term mental health outcomes for extremely low birth weight (ELBW) survivors are not well understood.
  • ELBW is defined as a birth weight below 1000 grams.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in self-reported psychopathology between young adult ELBW survivors and normal birth weight (NBW) controls.
  • To identify specific mental health challenges in ELBW survivors.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 142 ELBW survivors and 133 NBW controls (aged 22-26 years) were assessed.
  • The Young Adult Self-Report measure was used to assess internalizing (depression, anxiety, avoidant personality) and externalizing (ADHD, antisocial personality) problems.

Main Results:

  • ELBW survivors reported significantly higher internalizing problems (mean difference 3.02 points) compared to NBW controls, after adjusting for family background.
  • No significant difference was found in externalizing problems between ELBW survivors and NBW controls.
  • A sex interaction indicated that males born at ELBW had a reduced risk for externalizing problems.
  • ELBW survivors born small for gestational age (SGA) showed the highest risk for internalizing problems, followed by those born appropriate for gestational age (AGA).

Conclusions:

  • Internalizing problems, including depression, anxiety, and avoidant personality issues, are elevated in young adulthood among ELBW survivors.
  • The increased risk for internalizing problems is more pronounced in ELBW survivors who were born SGA.
Abstract

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