Background Post-term birth, defined as birth after pregnancy duration of 42 weeks, is associated with increased neonatal morbidity and mortality. The long-term consequences of post-term birth are unknown. We assessed the association of post-term birth with problem behaviour in early childhood.
Methods The study was performed in a large population-based prospective cohort study in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Pregnant mothers enrolled between 2001 and 2005. Of a cohort of 5145 children, 382 (7%) were born post-term, and 226 (4%) were born preterm. Parents completed a standardized and validated behavioural checklist (Child Behavior Checklist, CBCL/1.5–5) when their children were 1.5 and 3 years old. We examined the relation between gestational age (GA) at birth, based on early fetal ultrasound examination, and problem behaviour with regression analyses, adjusting for socio-economic and pregnancy-related confounders.
Results A quadratic relationship between GA at birth and problem behaviour indicates that both preterm and post-term children have higher behavioural and emotional problem scores than the term born children. Compared with term born children, post-term born children had a higher risk for overall problem behaviour [odds ratio (OR) = 2.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.32–3.36] and were almost two and a half times as likely to have attention deficit / hyperactivity problem behaviour (OR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.38–4.32).
Conclusions Post-term birth was associated with more behavioural and emotional problems in early childhood, especially attention deficit / hyperactivity problem behaviour. When considering expectant management, this aspect of post-term pregnancy should be taken into account.
Source: http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/41/3/773?rss=1
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