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Interpregnancy interval and the risk of oppositional defiant disorder in offspring

Berihun Assefa Dachew1, Gavin Pereira1,2,3, Gizachew Assefa Tessema1,4

  • 1School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

Development and Psychopathology
|March 2, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Short interpregnancy intervals (less than 6 months) are linked to a higher risk of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in children. This finding highlights the importance of birth spacing for child behavioral outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal Health
  • Child Psychology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Interpregnancy interval (IPI), the time between births, is a significant factor in maternal and child health outcomes.
  • Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a common childhood behavioral disorder with potential long-term consequences.
  • Understanding risk factors for ODD is crucial for early intervention and prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between interpregnancy interval (IPI) and parent-reported oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in offspring.
  • To examine ODD risk at 7 and 10 years of age in relation to varying IPIs.
  • To assess the impact of confounders on the IPI-ODD association.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) in the UK.
  • Included over 3200 mothers and their singleton children in the analysis.
  • Employed log-binomial regression analyses to determine the association between IPI and ODD.

Main Results:

  • Children born after a short IPI (<6 months) showed a 2.4 times higher likelihood of ODD diagnosis at 7 and 10 years.
  • No significant associations were found for other IPI categories with ODD risk in offspring.
  • Adjustments for maternal mental health and ADHD did not alter the observed association.

Conclusions:

  • Short interpregnancy intervals (<6 months) are associated with an increased risk of oppositional defiant disorder in children.
  • The findings suggest a potential biological or environmental pathway linking short birth spacing to ODD.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms of this association.

Keywords:
ALSPACinterpregnancy intervaloffspringoppositional defiant disorder

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