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Children born small for gestational age are not at special risk for preschool emotion and behaviour problems

Christine M Cornforth1, John M D Thompson, Elizabeth Robinson

  • 1Department of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Early Human Development
|January 3, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Being born small for gestational age (SGA) full term does not increase preschool behavioral problems. Risk factors for behavioral issues were similar in SGA and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) children.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Perinatal Health
  • Behavioral Pediatrics

Background:

  • Limited research exists on the developmental outcomes of full-term infants born small for gestational age (SGA).
  • Previous studies primarily focused on preterm low birthweight children.
  • Understanding SGA's impact on preschool behavior is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if being born small for gestational age (SGA) at full term is associated with increased preschool behavioral problems.
  • To determine if known risk factors for behavioral problems affect SGA and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) children differently.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 550 New Zealand European mother-child pairs was studied.
  • Children were born at full term, with half classified as SGA (≤10th percentile) and half as AGA controls.
  • Behavioral problems were assessed at 3.5 years using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ); data collected at birth, 1 year, and 3.5 years.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in preschool behavioral problems were found between SGA and AGA groups.
  • Maternal education, smoking during pregnancy, maternal alcohol use, and paternal absence predicted behavioral problems in the total sample.
  • The same risk factors predicted behavioral problems in both SGA and AGA children.

Conclusions:

  • Being born small for gestational age (SGA) at full term is not a risk factor for preschool behavioral difficulties.
  • SGA children are not more susceptible to known environmental risk factors for behavioral problems.
  • Findings challenge the notion that SGA status confers unique developmental vulnerabilities in early childhood.

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