title: Associations between problems with crying, sleeping and/or feeding in infancy and long-term behavioural outcomes in childhood: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Excessive crying, sleeping or feeding problems are found in approximately 20% of infants and may predict behavioural problems in childhood.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quantitative meta-analysis of 22 longitudinal studies from 1987 to 2006 that statistically tested the association between infant regulatory problems and childhood internalising, externalising and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) problems was carried out; 1935 children with regulatory problems were tested. Cohen's d was used to express the association between regulatory problems and behavioural problems. Heterogeneity of the effect sizes was assessed using the I(2) statistic and meta-analysis of variance and meta-regressions were conducted to assess the influence of moderators. Rosenthal's classic fail-safe N and correlation of sample sizes to effect sizes were used to assess publication bias.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The weighted mean effect size for the main regulatory problems-behavioural problems association was 0.41 (95% CI 0.28 to 0.54), indicating that children with previous regulatory problems have more behavioural problems than controls. Externalising and ADHD problems were the strongest outcome of any regulatory problem, indicated by the highest fail-safe N and lowest correlation of sample size to effect size. Meta-analyses of variance revealed no significant moderating influences of regulatory problem comorbidity (I(2)=44.0, p>0.05), type (I(2)=41.8, p>0.05) or duration (I(2)=44.0, p>0.05). However, cumulative problems and clinical referral increased the risk of behavioural problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The meta-analyses suggest that children with previous regulatory problems have more behavioural problems than controls, particularly in multi-problem families. Further studies are required to assess the behavioural outcomes of previously sleep, feeding or multiply disturbed children.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Etiological Study of Adjustment and Mental Health, National Centre of Competence in Research, Institute of Psychology, University of Basel, Birmannsgasse 8, Basel, Switzerland. mirja.hemmi@unibas.ch
authors.forename: Mirja Helen
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hemmi
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wolke
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003448:Crying / Q000523:psychology*; D019959:Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012307:Risk Factors; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*