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Emotional and behavioural outcomes at 8 years of age in preterm-born children: A longitudinal study

Christos Tsakalidis1, Dimitrios Rallis1,2, Eftychia Drogouti1

  • 1Second Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Neonatology Department, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|February 23, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Early preterm birth is linked to higher emotional and behavioral difficulties in children, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Perinatal factors and neurodevelopmental scores also predict these outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Child Psychology
  • Neonatal Medicine

Background:

  • Preterm-born children face increased risks for emotional and behavioral challenges.
  • Early identification of risk factors is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if perinatal factors and neurodevelopmental assessments predict emotional and behavioral outcomes in preterm children aged 7-9 years.
  • To compare outcomes between early and moderately preterm groups.

Main Methods:

  • Evaluated 70 preterm children (32 early, 38 moderate) at 8.2 years using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
  • Utilized prior Bayley-III neurodevelopmental evaluation scores (cognitive, motor).
  • Analyzed correlations between SDQ scores, perinatal factors, and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Early preterm children exhibited higher total SDQ and emotional symptoms scores compared to moderately preterm children.
  • Gestational age, birth weight, perinatal factors, and Bayley-III cognitive/motor scores significantly correlated with SDQ emotional and total scores.
  • Early prematurity independently predicted higher total SDQ and emotional symptoms scores.

Conclusions:

  • Prematurity, birth weight, perinatal conditions, and early neurodevelopment (cognitive/motor) are significant predictors of emotional and behavioral outcomes in preterm children.
  • These findings highlight the importance of considering perinatal history and early development in managing behavioral health in this population.
Abstract

Keywords:
behaviouremotional outcomesneurodevelopmentprematurity

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