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ADHD-Related Symptoms Common in Children Born Before 39 Weeks
Birth at 37 or 38 weeks gestational age was associated with a higher likelihood of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms as later reported by teachers compared with birth at 39 weeks or later, according to study results published online ahead of print in The Journal of Pediatrics.
“The findings add to growing evidence supporting current recommendations for delaying elective deliveries to at least 39 weeks and suggest that regular screenings for ADHD symptoms are important for children born at 37-38 weeks gestational age,” wrote lead study author Geethanjali Lingasubramanian, MD, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, and coauthors.
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The study was a secondary analysis of data from a US birth cohort that included approximately 1400 children born at term (37–41 weeks). When they were 9 years old, students in the study were evaluated by teachers for symptoms of hyperactivity, ADHD, oppositional behavior, and cognitive problems or inattention.
Early term birth at 37 or 38 weeks was associated with 23% higher hyperactivity scores, 17% higher ADHD scores, and about 50% higher odds of scoring above average for hyperactivity compared with birth between 39 and 41 weeks, the study found.
Each week of gestational age at term was linked with 6% lower hyperactivity scores and 5% lower ADHD and cognitive problems/inattention scores.
“Significant growth and development in various kinds of brain cells are observed between 34 and 40 weeks of gestation,” said study corresponding author Nancy Reichman, PhD, a professor of pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “Infants born at full-term likely benefit from the additional 1 to 2 weeks of brain growth in utero compared with those born early-term.”
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