title: Health and behaviour problems at 8 weeks as predictors of behaviour problems at 8 months.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective birth cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The socially and ethnically diverse city of Coventry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parent reported behavioural problems at 8 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parent 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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infants 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infants 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.
authors.affiliation: School of Postgraduate Medical Education and Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coe
mesh_terms: D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires