title: Behaviour problems and cortisol levels in very-low-birth-weight children.
abstract: Abstract Background. There are still diverging results concerning the behaviour of children with very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) and they have been questioned to display different levels of stress hormone than normal-birth-weight (NBW) children. Aims. This study examined behaviour and the stress hormone cortisol in children with VLBW at the ages of 7 and 9 years compared with children with NBW. Results. Fifty-one VLBW and 50 NBW children were studied with the Child Behavior Checklist. Cortisol rhythm was measured through saliva samples three times a day for 2 days. VLBW children displayed more behavioural problems than NBW children, specifically social and attention problems, although still within normal ranges. They showed lower cortisol levels both at 7 and 9 years of age. No strong association between behaviour and cortisol levels was shown. Conclusion. VLBW children display more behaviour problems compared with NBW children but both groups score are within the normal range. Down-regulation of their hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function in terms of lower cortisol levels is also noted.
authors.affiliation: Marie Wadsby, Associate Professor, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University , Sweden.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wadsby
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Fredrik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ingemansson
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samuelsson
authors.forename: Ingemar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Leijon
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D012042:Registries; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Behaviour problems; Follow-up study; Stress hormone; Very-low-birth-weight