Low birth-weight linked to psychiatric problems

New research claims that children of low birth-weight may have a higher risk of developing psychiatric problems later in life.

In a study published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry today, scientists examined the long-term association between low birth-weight and psychiatric problems among 413 children from a socially disadvantaged community in Detroit and 410 children from a middle-class Detroit suburb.

It was found that low birth-weight children were more likely to exhibit externalising and internalising problems than normal birth-weight children in their community.

“An increased risk of attention problems was associated with low birth weight only in the urban community and was greater among very low-birth-weight children (weighing 1,500 grams or less) than heavier low-birth-weight children (weighing 1,501 grams to 2,500 grams),” the report’s authors claim.

“In the suburban community, there was no increased risk for attention problems associated with low birth weight. Psychiatric outcomes of low birth weight did not vary across ages of assessments.”

Researchers at the Michigan State University said that attention difficulties affect children’s academic development later in life.

“Attention problems influence academic performance by reducing the time that students devote to class learning and homework assignments and hinder organisation and work habits,” the authors said.