Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 17, 2025

Author Spotlight: Collecting the Brain and Serum from the Same Mice Fetus to Study Brain Tumor Development
05:44

Author Spotlight: Collecting the Brain and Serum from the Same Mice Fetus to Study Brain Tumor Development

Published on: May 17, 2024

611

Preterm or early term birth and risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a national cohort and co-sibling

Casey Crump1, Jan Sundquist2, Kristina Sundquist2

  • 1Departments of Family Medicine and Community Health and of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.

Annals of Epidemiology
|August 30, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Preterm and early term births increase the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, regardless of shared familial factors. This risk affects both males and females, highlighting the importance of birth timing for neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatrics
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder.
  • Preterm birth and early term birth are known risk factors for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between preterm and early term birth and the risk of ADHD.
  • To explore potential sex-specific differences in this association.

Main Methods:

  • A large national cohort study of singleton births in Sweden (1973-2013) was conducted.
  • Infant survivors were followed up for ADHD diagnoses and medication records through 2018.
  • Poisson regression and co-sibling analyses were used to assess risks and control for confounding factors.

Main Results:

  • ADHD prevalence was higher in preterm (6.1%) and early term (5.2%) births compared to full-term births (4.5%).
  • Preterm birth was associated with a 28% increased risk of ADHD (PR=1.28), and early term birth with a 12% increased risk (PR=1.12), with similar risks for males and females.
  • These associations remained significant after adjusting for sociodemographic, perinatal, and shared familial factors.

Conclusions:

  • Preterm and early term birth are independent risk factors for ADHD in both males and females.
  • The findings underscore the vulnerability of infants born prematurely or early term to neurodevelopmental challenges like ADHD.
Abstract

Keywords:
Attention deficit disorderAttention deficit-hyperactivity disorderGestational agePrematurityPreterm birth

More Related Videos

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

86.1K
Event Related Potentials ERPs and other EEG Based Methods for Extracting Biomarkers of Brain Dysfunction: Examples from Pediatric Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD10:02

Event Related Potentials ERPs and other EEG Based Methods for Extracting Biomarkers of Brain Dysfunction: Examples from Pediatric Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD

Published on: March 12, 2020

15.7K

Related Concept Videos

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder01:30

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It affects approximately 5-8% of children globally, with around 60-70% of cases persisting into adulthood. ADHD has significant implications for educational attainment, social interactions, and occupational success.
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
109
Autism Spectrum Disorder01:19

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction alongside restrictive and repetitive behaviors or interests. ASD is sometimes accompanied by intellectual impairment.
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
139
Conduct Disorder01:28

Conduct Disorder

Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...
68
Human Genetics01:28

Human Genetics

Human genetics provides a profound framework for understanding the interplay between genetic predispositions and human psychology. At the heart of this discipline lies the study of how genes influence physical traits, behaviors, and susceptibility to diseases. Each person carries a unique genetic code that subtly or significantly shapes their psychological and behavioral landscape.
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
611
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
84
Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs01:23

Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs

Behavior genetics explores how genetic inheritance influences human behavior. It focuses on how genes, passed from parents to offspring, contribute to the development of behavioral traits and tendencies. This branch of genetics seeks to understand the complex interplay between inherited genetic factors and environmental influences in shaping our behaviors.
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...
405