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Published on: December 2, 2015
Familial clustering of birth risk for adverse childhood outcomes
Oliver J Watkeys1,2, Kimberlie Dean1,3, Kristin R Laurens1,4
1School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia.
Insights
Children with pervasive familial risk, including parental mental illness and perinatal factors, face greater adverse developmental, social, and mental health outcomes. Interventions should target these combined risks.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Identifying distinct risk factor clusters in early childhood is crucial for understanding developmental trajectories.
- Perinatal and familial factors significantly influence child development and well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify distinct classes of children based on perinatal and familial risk factors at birth.
- To examine the association between these risk class memberships and adverse childhood outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Prospective longitudinal study of children born 2002-2004, followed to 12-13 years of age.
- Latent class analysis and logistic regression were employed to analyze risk factor clusters and outcomes.
Main Results:
- Children with 'pervasive familial risk' (parental mental illness, criminality, perinatal factors) showed the most adverse developmental, social, and mental health outcomes.
- These associations were particularly pronounced in girls, indicating sex-specific vulnerabilities.
Conclusions:
- Pervasive exposure to multiple pre- and perinatal risk factors elevates the risk for adverse childhood outcomes.
- Future interventions must be tailored to address specific combinations of adverse risk exposures in vulnerable families.
Objective:
To identify classes of children exposed to distinct clusters of perinatal and familial risk factors at the time of birth, and examine relationships between class membership and a variety of adverse outcomes in childhood.
Design:
A prospective longitudinal study of children (and their parents) born between 2002 and 2004 and who have been followed-up until 12-13 years of age. A combination of latent class analysis and logistic regression analyses were used.
Results:
Adverse developmental, social, and mental health outcomes in early and middle childhood were greatest for children with 'pervasive familial risk' (i.e., parental mental illness, parental criminality, and perinatal risk factors) at the time of birth; some associations were stronger among girls.
Conclusion:
Pervasive exposure to multiple risk factors in the pre- and perinatal period increases the risk of adverse outcomes in childhood. Future interventions should tailor strategies to address unique combinations of adverse risk exposures in vulnerable families.
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