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Very low birth weight children: behavior problems and school difficulty in a national sample
M C McCormick1, S L Gortmaker, A M Sobol
1Department of Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
Insights
Very low birth weight infants face increased risks of school difficulties and behavioral problems. Hyperactivity is a key factor contributing to these academic challenges in at-risk children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Low birth weight and very low birth weight are associated with developmental challenges.
- Understanding the long-term academic and behavioral outcomes for these children is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the risk of behavior problems and school difficulty in very low birth weight infants compared to heavier low birth weight and normal birth weight children.
- To identify correlates of school difficulty.
- To determine the association between behavior problems and school difficulty, controlling for correlates.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of the 1981 National Health Interview Survey--Child Health Supplement.
- Utilized the Behavior Problems Index to assess behavioral status.
- Examined sociodemographic factors and birth weight categories.
Main Results:
- 34% of very low birth weight children experienced school difficulty, versus 20% and 14% in other groups.
- Very low birth weight infants showed higher hyperactivity scores.
- Both very low birth weight and hyperactivity independently predicted academic problems, alongside sociodemographic factors.
Conclusions:
- Very low birth weight infants are at significant risk for academic problems.
- Hyperactive behavior is a key contributing factor to school difficulties in this population.
- Early identification and intervention for behavioral issues in very low birth weight children may mitigate academic risks.
Abstract:
We addressed three questions concerning the behavioral and academic status of low and very low birth weight infants through a secondary analysis of the 1981 National Health Interview Survey--Child Health Supplement: (1) in children born with very low birth weight, what is the risk of behavior problems and school difficulty compared with that in heavier low birth weight and normal birth weight children? (2) What are the correlates of school difficulty? (3) Are behavior problems associated with school difficulty when variables are controlled for these correlates? The analysis revealed that 34% of very low birth weight children could be characterized as having school difficulty, compared with 20% and 14% of the other groups, respectively, and that they were more likely to have higher scores on the hyperactive subscale of the Behavior Problems Index. Although a broad array of sociodemographic factors correlated with school difficulty, very low birth weight and hyperactivity scores contributed independently to the risk of academic problems. We conclude that very low birth weight infants are at risk of having school problems that are in part associated with hyperactive behavior.