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| health information | health news

Behavioural and emotional problems linked to premature birth

12 September 2008

Very preterm babies are relatively rare, but adequate provisions need to be made for their education. Support cannot end when they leave the neonatal unit.

Dr Dieter Wolke, Professor of Developmental Psychology at Warwick Medical School

Key facts

Normally, a pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. Babies born between 32 and 37 weeks are called premature (preterm). Babies born between 28 and 32 weeks are known as very premature. Babies born before 28 weeks are known as extremely premature.
Between 2005 and 2006, an estimated 3,360 babies were born before 27 weeks in England and Scotland.
Depression affects two in every 100 children under 12 years old, and five in every 100 teenagers.

Extremely premature babies are four times more likely to have emotional or behavioural problems, according to new research.

Researchers from the University of Warwick and the Warwick Medical School looked at 200 six-year-old children born at less than 26 weeks (extremely premature). The children were assessed using a questionnaire completed by both their parents and teachers. The questionnaire focused on their emotions, concentration, behaviour, and their ability to get along with other people.

The results showed that 33.3 percent of children born earlier than 26 weeks had attention problems, compared to 6.8 percent of children in their peer group. Of the extremely premature children, 30.6 percent had hyperactivity problems, compared to just 8.8 percent in the control group.

They also found differences between the types of behavioural disorders seen in boys and girls. Boys were more likely to have attention and hyperactivity problems; and girls were more likely to have problems such as anxiety or depression. Overall, boys were shown to be more vulnerable to behavioural and emotional problems than girls.

Dr Dieter Wolke, Professor of Developmental Psychology at Warwick Medical School, said: "We found considerable behaviour difficulties, including problems with emotions, hyperactivity, attention, and peer relationships. Girls also have a more mature brain at this early age. It's obviously a sensitive period in the brain's development."

Dr Wolke also suggested there was an important message to take away from the study: "Very preterm babies are relatively rare, but adequate provisions need to be made for their education. Support cannot end when they leave the neonatal unit."