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Predictors of crying, feeding and sleeping problems: a prospective study

G Schmid1, A Schreier, R Meyer

  • 1Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet, Muenchen, Germany. g.schmid@tum.de

Child: Care, Health and Development
|February 9, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Infant regulatory problems like crying, feeding, and sleeping issues are linked to various pre-, peri-, and post-natal factors. Identifying these predictors aids in early recognition of at-risk infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurodevelopment
  • Infant Health and Behavior
  • Psychosocial Pediatrics

Background:

  • Infant regulatory problems (excessive crying, feeding/sleeping difficulties) are early indicators of developmental issues.
  • The precise causes of these regulatory problems remain largely unknown.
  • Understanding predictors is crucial for early intervention and improved infant outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate pre-, peri-, and post-natal neurophysiological and psychosocial predictors.
  • To identify factors associated with single and multiple infant regulatory problems.
  • To analyze these predictors at 5 months of age.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective longitudinal study of 5093 singleton infants born at neonatal risk.
  • Data analyzed using crude and multivariate logistic regression.
  • Regulatory problems assessed via standardized parental interviews by study pediatricians.

Main Results:

  • 30.7% of infants experienced single or multiple regulatory problems at 5 months.
  • Breastfeeding showed mixed effects: increased odds of sleeping problems, decreased odds of feeding problems.
  • Very preterm birth, fetal abnormalities, family adversity, and psychosocial stress were significant predictors of regulatory problems.

Conclusions:

  • Pre-, peri-, and post-natal neurophysiological and psychosocial factors significantly predict infant regulatory problems.
  • These findings are valuable for the early identification of infants at risk.
  • Early recognition facilitates timely interventions to mitigate adverse developmental trajectories.
Abstract

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