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The behaviour of 3-year-old children who were born preterm
1Department of Psychology, Little Plumstead Hospital, Norwich.
Insights
Children born preterm (born before 37 weeks gestation) showed more sleep, temper, and dependence issues, and accidents, compared to full-term peers. These differences may stem from parenting styles rather than neurological impairment.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- Preterm birth is a significant perinatal event impacting child development.
- Low-risk preterm infants (32-37 weeks gestation, 1500-2500g) represent a distinct cohort for developmental study.
- Understanding behavioral outcomes in preterm children is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the behavior of 3-year-old preterm children with their full-term counterparts.
- To investigate potential links between preterm birth, behavioral issues, accidents, language development, and maternal mental health.
- To explore the influence of socioeconomic factors on child behavior and maternal well-being.
Main Methods:
- Home interviews with mothers and their 3-year-old children (preterm and full-term).
- Data collection on child behavior, accident history, language development, maternal mental health, and demographics.
- Statistical analysis to compare outcomes between preterm and full-term groups, and across socioeconomic strata.
Main Results:
- Preterm children exhibited significantly more sleep problems, tempers, and dependence behaviors.
- Preterm children experienced a higher incidence of accidents requiring medical attention.
- No significant differences in overall behavior problems or language development were found; behavioral differences suggested parenting style variations.
- Socioeconomic status significantly impacted child behavior, with manual groups showing more problems, and maternal mental health was poorer in manual groups.
Conclusions:
- Low-risk preterm birth is associated with specific behavioral challenges and increased accident rates in early childhood.
- Behavioral differences in preterm children may be influenced by parental management styles rather than inherent neurological deficits.
- Socioeconomic factors play a critical role in child behavior and maternal mental health, independent of preterm birth status.
Abstract:
The behaviour of 3-year-old children born preterm was compared with that of full-term children of the same age. The preterm group were born between 32 and 37 weeks gestation, and weighed between 1500 g and 2500 g at birth, and thus (in comparison to even earlier, lower birthweight babies) comprised a 'low risk' group. The children and their mothers were interviewed at home and information obtained about the following: behaviour, the number of accidents requiring medical attention, language development, maternal mental health and demographic data. The preterm group did not show an excess of behaviour problems overall but they did show significantly more problems when certain individual behaviours were considered, namely sleep related problems, tempers and dependence. The preterm group had also had significantly more accidents. The nature of the behavioural differences suggested they represented styles of parental management rather than neurological impairment in the preterm group. There was no evidence of language delay in either group and no significant association between child behaviour and maternal mental health. This study showed that consideration of socioeconomic factors is important. Children from manual socioeconomic groups showed significantly more behaviour problems than children from non-manual groups, and mothers from manual groups had significantly poorer mental health.