Birth weight and psychological distress at age 45–51 years
- 1 July 2005
- journal article
- Published by Royal College of Psychiatrists in The British Journal of Psychiatry
- Vol. 187 (1), 21-28
- https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.187.1.21
Abstract
Background: It is unclear whether the effect of low birth weight on common affective disorders in later life is director mediated through childhood factors.Aims: To determine whether birth weight has a direct effect on psychological distress in adulthood not mediated by childhood IQ or behavioural problems.Method: Participants (n=5572) of the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s study had data on birth weight for gestational age and adult psychological distress. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between these factors, with adjustment for confounders and potential childhood mediators.Results: Children born full term but weighing less than 5.5 lb had increased odds of psychological distress in later life after adjustment for potential confounders (OR=1.49, 95% CI 1.01–2.20). Further adjustment for childhood IQ and behaviour did not attenuate the association. A 1 s.d. decrease in birth weight for gestational age was associated with a 4% increased odds of psychological distress in adulthood (OR=1.04, 95% CI 0.97–1.12).Conclusions: Low birth weight for gestational age, particularly atterm, was associated with adult psychological distress. This was not mediated by childhood factors, suggesting a direct effect of early life factors on adult mental health. A neurodevelopmental pathway may therefore be implicated.Keywords
This publication has 33 references indexed in Scilit:
- The AberdeenChildren of the 1950scohort study: background, methods and follow‐up information on a new resource for the study of life course and intergenerational influences on healthPaediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 2004
- Do insulin-like growth factors underlie associations of birth complications, fetal and pre-adult growth with schizophrenia?Schizophrenia Research, 2004
- Association of insulin resistance with depression: cross sectional findings from the British women's heart and health studyBMJ, 2003
- Birthweight and behavioural problems in children: a modifiable effect?International Journal of Epidemiology, 2001
- Obstetric complications in patients with depression — a population-based case–control studyJournal of Affective Disorders, 2000
- Further Evidence of Relation Between Prenatal Famine and Major Affective DisorderAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 2000
- Psychosocial predictors of low birthweight: a prospective studyBJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1999
- Handling missing data in survey researchStatistical Methods in Medical Research, 1996
- The General Health Questionnaire: how many items are really necessary in population surveys?Psychological Medicine, 1995
- A CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOUR QUESTIONNAIRE FOR COMPLETION BY TEACHERS: PRELIMINARY FINDINGSJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 1967