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The behavioral and emotional well-being of school-age children with different birth weights
M C McCormick1, K Workman-Daniels, J Brooks-Gunn
1Department of Maternal and Child Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Insights
Children born at lower birth weights show poorer mental and emotional well-being, with more behavioral issues. Modifiable environmental factors significantly influence these outcomes in school-aged children.
Area of Science:
- Child development
- Pediatric health
- Mental health research
Background:
- Birth weight is a critical indicator of neonatal health.
- Long-term mental and emotional well-being in children can be influenced by various factors.
- Understanding these influences is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess mental and emotional well-being in school-aged children across different birth weight categories.
- To identify neonatal, health, sociodemographic, and environmental factors associated with well-being.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study with recontact at 8-10 years.
- Sample included children across birth weight strata (≤1000g to >2500g).
- Maternal reports on well-being, health, and environment; neonatal records used.
Main Results:
- Lower birth weight associated with increased behavioral problems and lower perceived competence.
- No significant difference in general well-being scale scores.
- Childhood illness, maternal mental health, home environment, and smoking exposure were key correlates.
Conclusions:
- Children with lower birth weights exhibit poorer mental and emotional well-being.
- A significant portion of adverse outcomes is linked to modifiable environmental factors.
- Interventions targeting environmental factors may improve outcomes for these children.
Objective:
To describe the mental and emotional well-being of children born at different birth weights assessed at school age and to identify neonatal, intervening health, and sociodemographic and environmental factors associated with mental and emotional well-being.
Methods:
To address this issue, we used a prospective cohort study involving two previously studied cohorts, which were recontacted at 8 to 10 years of age to provide a multisite sample of 247 children weighing 1000 g or less at birth, 364 weighing 1001 to 1500 g, 724 weighing 1501 to 2500 g, and 533 weighing more than 2500 g. Maternal reports were obtained on three standardized measures of mental and emotional well-being (the Rand General Well-being Scale, the Behavior Problem Index, and the Harter Scale of Child Competence) and on intervening health, sociodemographic, and environmental variables. Neonatal variables were derived from records at birth. Statistical techniques included analysis of variance and ordinary least squares multiple regression.
Results:
Lower birth weight children did not differ on the General Well-being Scale but were more likely to have behavior problems and to be considered less competent. Other important correlates of mental and emotional well-being included childhood illness, maternal mental health, home environment score, and exposure to household cigarette smoking.
Conclusion:
Although lower birth weight children have poorer mental and emotional well-being, a substantial portion of this adverse outcome reflects modifiable environmental factors.