Attention problems in very preterm children from childhood to adulthood: the Bavarian Longitudinal Study
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Attention problems in very preterm children from childhood to adulthood : the Bavarian Longitudinal Study. / Breeman, Linda D.; Jaekel, Julia; Baumann, Nicole; Bartmann, Peter; Wolke, Dieter.
In: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, Vol. 57, No. 2, 01.02.2016, p. 132-140.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Attention problems in very preterm children from childhood to adulthood
T2 - the Bavarian Longitudinal Study
AU - Breeman, Linda D.
AU - Jaekel, Julia
AU - Baumann, Nicole
AU - Bartmann, Peter
AU - Wolke, Dieter
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2015 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
PY - 2016/2/1
Y1 - 2016/2/1
N2 - Background: Very preterm (VP; gestational age <32 weeks) and very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 grams) is related to attention problems in childhood and adulthood. The stability of these problems into adulthood is not known. Methods: The Bavarian Longitudinal Study is a prospective cohort study that followed 260 VP/VLBW and 229 term-born individuals from birth to adulthood. Data on attention were collected at 6, 8, and 26 years of age, using parent reports, expert behavior observations, and clinical ADHD diagnoses. Results: At each assessment, VP/VLBW individuals had significantly more attention problems, shorter attention span, and were more frequently diagnosed with ADHD than term-born comparisons. In both VP/VLBW and term-born individuals, overall, attention span increased and attention problems decreased from childhood to adulthood. Attention problems and attention span were more stable over time for VP/VLBW than term-born individuals. Similarly, ADHD diagnoses showed moderate stability from childhood to adulthood in VP/VLBW, but not in term-born individuals. However, when those with severe disabilities were excluded, differences between VP/VLBW and term-born individuals reduced. Conclusions: Despite improvement in attention regulation from childhood to adulthood, children born very preterm remained at increased risk for attention problems in adulthood. In contrast, term-born children with clinical attention problems outgrew these by adulthood. As inattentive behavior of VP/VLBW children may be overlooked by teachers, it may be necessary to raise awareness for school intervention programs that reduce attention problems in VP/VLBW children.
AB - Background: Very preterm (VP; gestational age <32 weeks) and very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 grams) is related to attention problems in childhood and adulthood. The stability of these problems into adulthood is not known. Methods: The Bavarian Longitudinal Study is a prospective cohort study that followed 260 VP/VLBW and 229 term-born individuals from birth to adulthood. Data on attention were collected at 6, 8, and 26 years of age, using parent reports, expert behavior observations, and clinical ADHD diagnoses. Results: At each assessment, VP/VLBW individuals had significantly more attention problems, shorter attention span, and were more frequently diagnosed with ADHD than term-born comparisons. In both VP/VLBW and term-born individuals, overall, attention span increased and attention problems decreased from childhood to adulthood. Attention problems and attention span were more stable over time for VP/VLBW than term-born individuals. Similarly, ADHD diagnoses showed moderate stability from childhood to adulthood in VP/VLBW, but not in term-born individuals. However, when those with severe disabilities were excluded, differences between VP/VLBW and term-born individuals reduced. Conclusions: Despite improvement in attention regulation from childhood to adulthood, children born very preterm remained at increased risk for attention problems in adulthood. In contrast, term-born children with clinical attention problems outgrew these by adulthood. As inattentive behavior of VP/VLBW children may be overlooked by teachers, it may be necessary to raise awareness for school intervention programs that reduce attention problems in VP/VLBW children.
KW - ADHD
KW - attention
KW - longitudinal studies
KW - low birth weight
KW - prematurity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84940100303&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/jcpp.12456
DO - 10.1111/jcpp.12456
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 26287264
AN - SCOPUS:84940100303
VL - 57
SP - 132
EP - 140
JO - Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry
JF - Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry
SN - 0021-9630
IS - 2
ER -
ID: 393164536