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Changes in social relationships from 26 to 34 years of age in adults born very preterm

Elif Gonen1, E Sabrina Twilhaar1, Nicole Baumann1,2,3

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.

Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology
|October 28, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Very preterm and/or very low birthweight (VP/VLBW) adults show persistent differences in social relationships compared to term-born adults, with lower partner and peer relationship scores. These patterns, including worsening parental relationships, were observed from emerging to established adulthood.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Perinatal Medicine
  • Social Epidemiology

Background:

  • Individuals born very preterm and/or very low birthweight (VP/VLBW) report lower quality partner and peer relationships than term-born individuals.
  • Parental relationship quality in VP/VLBW individuals has been understudied.
  • It remains unclear if social relationship differences persist or diminish from emerging to established adulthood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine changes in social relationship characteristics in VP/VLBW adults versus term-born adults between ages 26 and 34.
  • To determine if sex influences the association between VP/VLBW status and social relationship characteristics.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, whole-population birth cohort study in South Bavaria, Germany, evaluated social relationships (parents, partners, peers) at ages 26 and 34 using a Life Course Interview.
  • Interview items were scored as optimal (0) or non-optimal (1) and summed into domain-specific composite scores, standardized to the total sample.

Main Results:

  • VP/VLBW adults (n=262) exhibited lower overall social relationship scores compared to term-born adults (n=230).
  • Specifically, VP/VLBW adults had lower partner and peer relationship scores, but not parent relationship scores.
  • From ages 26 to 34, partner and peer relationship scores improved, while parent relationship scores declined, with similar changes observed in both VP/VLBW and term-born groups.

Conclusions:

  • Both VP/VLBW and term-born adults experienced improvements in partner and peer relationships alongside a decline in parental relationships between ages 26 and 34.
  • Despite similar patterns of change, significant differences in social relationship quality persisted between VP/VLBW and term-born adults into established adulthood.
Abstract

Keywords:
emerging adulthoodestablished adulthoodlongitudinal studysocial relationship characteristicsvery low birthweightvery preterm birth

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