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Trajectories of behavioral problems among moderate-late preterm children from 4 to 10 years: A prospective
Sabrina Faleschini1, Célia Matte-Gagné1, Sylvana Côté2
1School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec, Canada.
Insights
Moderate to late preterm (MLP) children show a small, parent-reported increase in hyperactivity-impulsivity. This association was not confirmed by teachers, suggesting limited long-term behavioral differences in MLP children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Research indicates moderate to late preterm (MLP) children (32-36 weeks gestation) may exhibit more behavioral issues than full-term (FT) peers.
- Longitudinal studies with repeated measures are scarce for tracking MLP children's developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between moderate to late preterm birth and behavioral problem trajectories from ages 4 to 10.
- To analyze developmental pathways of specific behavioral issues in preterm children.
Main Methods:
- Prospective longitudinal study using Canadian population-based data (1841 FT, 89 MLP children).
- Behavioral problems (hyperactivity-impulsivity, inattention, anxiety-depression, aggression) assessed via parent and teacher reports from ages 4 to 10.
- Developmental trajectories modeled using Mplus, controlling for child sex and family income.
Main Results:
- A significant, persistent association was found between MLP birth and parent-reported hyperactivity-impulsivity trajectories.
- No significant relation was observed for MLP birth concerning trajectories of inattention, anxiety-depression, or aggression.
- The association between MLP birth and hyperactivity-impulsivity was small and not corroborated by teacher reports.
Conclusions:
- Parent reports suggest MLP children may exhibit more hyperactive and impulsive behaviors in early childhood.
- The link between moderate to late preterm birth and hyperactivity-impulsivity trajectories is small and lacks teacher report confirmation.
- MLP children do not differ from FT children in the overall developmental trajectories of inattention, anxiety-depression, and aggression problems.
Background:
A growing body of research suggests that moderate to late preterm children (MLP; 32 through 36 weeks of gestation) may have higher rates of behavioral problems than full-term (FT) children. However, few studies have followed MLP children over time using a longitudinal design with repeated measures.
Aim:
The current prospective longitudinal study aims to examine the relation between MLP birth and trajectories of behavioral problems among children from ages 4 to 10 years.
Study Design And Subjects:
The data comes from a Canadian representative population-based study including 1841 FT children and 89 MLP children.
Outcome Measures:
Four categories of behavioral problems were measured repeatedly from 4 to 10 years using parent and teacher reports: hyperactivity-impulsivity, inattention, anxiety-depression, and aggression. Developmental trajectories were modeled using Mplus.
Results:
After accounting for child sex and family income, a significant and persistent association was found between MLP birth and the developmental trajectory of hyperactivity-impulsivity reported by the parent. No relation was found regarding trajectories of inattention, anxiety-depression, and aggression problems.
Conclusions:
According to parent reports, MLP children were more likely to exhibit hyperactive and impulsive behaviors compared to FT peers during early childhood. However, the relation between MLP birth and the trajectory of parent-reported hyperactivity-impulsivity was small and was not confirmed by teacher evaluation. Moreover, MLP children did not differ from FT children regarding the overall trajectory of inattention, anxiety-depression, and aggression problems.
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