Longitudinal Predictors of Psychiatric Disorders in Very Low Birth Weight Adults

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine risk and protective factors for adult psychiatric disorders in very low birth weight (VLBW, birth weight <1,501 g) survivors. 79 of 154 (51%) VLBW subjects recruited at birth were assessed in early adulthood (24-27 years). Participants were screened for a psychiatric disorder; those elevated were invited to attend a structured clinical interview to determine a clinical diagnosis. Longitudinal variables measured from birth and at ages 2, 5, 14 and 18 years were included in analyses. Perinatal, developmental and social environmental risk factors failed to predict psychiatric disorder in adulthood in this cohort of VLBW survivors. Instead, low self-esteem at age 18 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1, 1.11, p = 0.05) and the adult social environment (high rates of negative life event stress at the time of assessment: OR = 1.39, CI = 1.10, 1.76, p = 0.02), contributed significantly to adult psychiatric outcomes.

Mood and anxiety disorders in very preterm/very low–birth weight individuals from 6 to 26 years

“…Our sample represents one of the largest longitudinal studies of psychiatric risk after VP/VLBW birth ever reported. For comparison, other well‐respected cohort studies of VP/VLBW survivors reported sample sizes and cross‐sectional follow‐up rates in adulthood of N = 44, 60% (Lærum et al., ), N = 174, 51% (Van Lieshout et al., ), and N = 79, 56% (Westrupp, Northam, Doyle, Callanan, & Anderson, ), respectively. Despite this, the statistical power to detect differences in diagnosis of specific anxiety or mood disorders was not sufficient.…”

“…Few studies have investigated factors in VP/ VLBWs' environments that may protect from the development of psychiatric disorders (Westrupp, Northam, Doyle, Callanan, & Anderson, 2012). Social support from romantic partners is associated with lower risk for anxiety and mood disorders in both VP/VLBW and term-born adults.…”

Persisting Behavior Problems in Extremely Low Birth Weight Adolescents

“…7–9,19,20,48 Evidence that ELBW adolescents are at risk for increasing symptoms of internalizing disorders and other mental health problems in young adulthood also justifies efforts to extend follow-up to later ages. 3,18,49,50 …”

Mental Health in Low-to-Moderate Risk Preterm, Low Birth Weight, and Small for Gestational Age Children at 4 to 5 Years: The Role of Early Maternal Parenting

“…This finding suggests that mothers of children with LTM perinatal risk generally do not parent differently, although they displayed increased levels of irritability in their child's first year of life. Differences in children's scores on the Emotion Symptoms subscale at 4-5 years suggest there may be specific emotionprocessing difficulties related to early biological system impairment, such as possible alteration/disruption of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortex (HPA)-axis functioning [38][39] . It is also likely that other contextual variables also contribute to, or exacerbate, any underlying biological system impairment associated with LTM perinatal vulnerability.…”