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Personality and behaviour in eight-year-old, non-handicapped children with birth weight under 1500 g
K Sommerfelt1, B Ellertsen, T Markestad
1Department of Paediatrics, University of Bergen, Norway.
Insights
Very low-birth-weight (VLBW) children show more behavioral and learning difficulties than peers. These issues persist regardless of socioeconomic status, indicating VLBW is a significant risk factor.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants represent a vulnerable population with potential long-term developmental challenges.
- Understanding the behavioral and cognitive outcomes of VLBW survivors is crucial for early intervention and support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the personality and behavioral characteristics of VLBW children with term-born controls at eight years of age.
- To investigate the influence of socioeconomic status on the developmental outcomes of VLBW children.
Main Methods:
- A population-based cohort study comparing 29 VLBW infants with 29 matched term controls at age eight.
- Assessment using a questionnaire personality inventory for children, alongside IQ and motor ability evaluations.
Main Results:
- VLBW children exhibited lower mean IQ and motor abilities compared to controls.
- VLBW children experienced more learning difficulties, school coping problems, and behavioral issues (conduct and emotional), particularly VLBW boys.
- These differences remained significant even after controlling for socioeconomic status, except for conduct problems.
Conclusions:
- Very low-birth-weight is a potential risk factor for school coping and behavioral problems, independent of socioeconomic status.
- Impaired cognitive and neuromotor function often coexist with these behavioral challenges in VLBW individuals.
- Early identification and targeted support are essential for VLBW children facing developmental and behavioral hurdles.
Abstract:
Personality and behavioural characteristics of a population-based cohort of 29 very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants were compared with those of 29 matched, term controls at eight years of age. The VLBW infants were born to families of lower socioeconomic status (p = 0.04) and had a lower mean IQ (93 versus 104, p = 0.008) and motor abilities (p = 0.028). Based on the questionnaire personality inventory for children, the VLBW children had more learning difficulties and school coping problems, and the VLBW boys had more conduct and emotional problems than the controls. Except for conduct problems, these differences persisted after controlling for socioeconomic status. Generally, there were significant relationships between behaviour, IQ and motor abilities. In conclusion, VLBW may be a risk factor for the development of school coping and behavioural problems independent of socioeconomic status but often coexist with impaired cognitive and neuromotor function.