Arch Dis Child 1999;81:166-168 ( August )
Health and behaviour problems at 8 weeks as predictors of
behaviour problems at 8 months
N J Spencera, C Coeb
a School of
Postgraduate Medical Education and Department of Social Policy and
Social Work, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK, b Department of Social Policy and Social
Work, University of Warwick
Correspondence to: Professor Spencer.
Accepted 29 March 1999
OBJECTIVE
To assess
the value of health and behavioural problems at 8 weeks as predictors
of behavioural problems at 8 months in a whole year birth cohort.
STUDY
DESIGNProspective birth cohort study.
SETTINGThe socially
and ethnically diverse city of Coventry.
MAIN OUTCOMEParent
reported behavioural problems at 8 months.
METHODParent reported
infant health and behaviour data were collected, using a validated
questionnaire administered by the family health visitor at 8 weeks and
8 months, on 1541 infants participating in the Coventry cohort study.
Sociodemographic data were collected at the health visitor's initial
visit. Unadjusted relative risks (with 95% confidence intervals (CI))
of behaviour problems at 8 months by sociodemographic variables and
health and behavioural problems at 8 weeks were estimated. Adjustment
for confounding was made by logistic regression.
RESULTSInfants
reported to have behavioural problems at 8 weeks had a significant risk
of parent reported behavioural problems at 8 months (adjusted relative
risk, 3.44; 95% CI, 1.95 to 6.09) after adjustment for other health
outcomes and sociodemographic factors. Of infants with behavioural
problems by 8 weeks of age, 19.1% were reported to have behavioural
problems at 8 months.
CONCLUSIONSInfants
whose parents report behaviour problems by 8 weeks of age are at higher
risk of behavioural problems at 8 months. However, despite the higher
risk, the proportions of infants identified by behaviour at 8 weeks
were too small for the early outcomes to be useful as predictors of
behaviour at 8 months in the whole infant population.
Keywords:
behavioural problems;
risk;
birth cohort study;
predictive value
© 1999 by Archives of Disease in Childhood
