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Self-reported Chronic Pain in Young Adults With a Low Birth Weight
Johanne M Iversen1, Marit S Indredavik, Kari A I Evensen
1Departments of *Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health §Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine †Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Norwegian University of Science and Technology ‡Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital ∥Department of Physiotherapy, Trondheim Municipality ¶Department of Pediatrics, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
Insights
Young adults born with low birth weight, including very low birth weight (VLBW) and small for gestational age (SGA) categories, experience higher rates of chronic pain. These findings highlight the need for focused pain management in long-term follow-up care.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal Medicine
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Pain Medicine
Background:
- Low birth weight, encompassing very low birth weight (VLBW) and term small for gestational age (SGA) infants, is associated with various long-term health outcomes.
- Chronic pain is a significant health concern in adulthood, impacting quality of life and healthcare utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of self-reported pain in young adults who were born with low birth weight.
- To compare pain experiences between VLBW, term SGA, and control groups.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal follow-up study included young adults born between 1986-1988.
- Participants completed a pain questionnaire at age 26, defining chronic pain as lasting >6 months and moderate to severe in the past 4 weeks.
- Data were analyzed comparing VLBW, term SGA, and control groups, with adjustments for confounding factors.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of chronic pain at age 26 was significantly higher in the VLBW (16%) and term SGA (21%) groups compared to controls (7%).
- Odds ratios for chronic pain were elevated for both VLBW (OR 2.6) and term SGA (OR 3.6) groups.
- Pain severity increased notably in the term SGA group between ages 19 and 26, suggesting a progressive nature.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with low birth weight, particularly those who are term SGA, are at increased risk for developing chronic pain in young adulthood.
- Pain assessment and management should be integral components of long-term follow-up programs for individuals with a history of low birth weight.
- Mental health factors like anxiety and depression may influence pain experiences in this population.
Objective:
To investigate self-reported pain in young adults with a low birth weight.
Materials And Methods:
This study was a part of a long-term follow-up study of preterm very low birth weight (VLBW; birth weight ≤1500 g), term small for gestational age (SGA; birth weight <10th percentile adjusted for sex and parity), and control young adults born during 1986 to 1988. Of the 300 individuals invited, 216 (62 VLBW, 67 term SGA, and 87 controls) completed a pain questionnaire. Of these, 151 (70%) had answered a pain severity question at 19 years. Chronic pain was defined as pain lasting for >6 months and being moderate, severe, or very severe during the past 4 weeks.
Results:
The prevalence of chronic pain at 26 years was 16% in the VLBW group, 21% in the term SGA group, and 7% in the control group. The VLBW and the term SGA groups had higher odds ratios for chronic pain (crude OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 0.9-7.6 for the VLBW group and crude OR, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.3-9.9 for the term SGA group vs. controls). The main results remained after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Some attenuation was observed when adjusting for anxiety and depressive problems. Moderate to very severe pain increased from 16% to 41% in the term SGA group from 19 to 26 years, whereas less changes were seen in the VLBW and the control groups.
Discussion:
Results of our study imply that pain should be in focus when conducting long-term follow-up programs of individuals with a low birth weight.
