Association of mental health problems in childhood with prenatal and postnatal physical growth.
OBJECTIVE
The present study was conducted to examine (i) prenatal and postnatal patterns of growth in relation to the risk of later mental health problems in children and (ii) the possible mediating effect of these patterns of growth in the association between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and children's mental health.


METHODS
The present study is part of a blinded, matched case control study, involving a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from routine examinations at community health services for children and adolescents. The sample comprised 80 patients, referred between the age of 6-13 years to the Community Mental Health Centre in Maastricht, and 320 matched population controls.


RESULTS
Children coming from unemployed families weighed less at birth, but postnatal growth was not associated with this or other indicators of SES. Although children using mental health care were somewhat smaller at birth, there was no evidence that leanness during childhood was a risk factor for the development of mental health problems.


CONCLUSIONS
The present results showed some evidence for the impact of intrauterine development on children's mental health problems. In addition, neither prenatal nor postnatal physical growth were on the pathway between parental SES and children's mental health problems.
Gunther
Nicole
N
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, PO Box 616 (DRT10), 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Drukker
Marjan
M
Feron
Frans
F
Van Os
Jim
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors