title: Late preterm birth, post-term birth, and abnormal fetal growth as risk factors for severe mental disorders from early to late adulthood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Late preterm births constitute the majority of preterm births. However, most evidence suggesting that preterm birth predicts the risk of mental disorders comes from studies on earlier preterm births. We examined if late preterm birth predicts the risks of severe mental disorders from early to late adulthood. We also studied whether adulthood mental disorders are associated with post-term birth or with being born small (SGA) or large (LGA) for gestational age, which have been previously associated with psychopathology risk in younger ages.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 12 597 Helsinki Birth Cohort Study participants, born 1934-1944, 664 were born late preterm, 1221 post-term, 287 SGA, and 301 LGA. The diagnoses of mental disorders were identified from national hospital discharge and cause of death registers from 1969 to 2010. In total, 1660 (13.2%) participants had severe mental disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals born late preterm did not differ from term-born individuals in their risk of any severe mental disorder. However, men born late preterm had a significantly increased risk of suicide. Post-term birth predicted significantly increased risks of any mental disorder in general and particularly of substance use and anxiety disorders. Individuals born SGA had significantly increased risks of any mental and substance use disorders. Women born LGA had an increased risk of psychotic disorders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although men born late preterm had an increased suicide risk, late preterm birth did not exert widespread effects on adult psychopathology. In contrast, the risks of severe mental disorders across adulthood were increased among individuals born SGA and individuals born post-term.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lahti
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare,Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare,Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kajantie
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lahti
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare,Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wahlbeck
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tuovinen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: A-K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pesonen
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare,Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikkonen
authors.affiliation: MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit,University of Southampton,UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Osmond
authors.forename: D J P
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Räikkönen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005320:Fetal Macrosomia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007233:Infant, Postmature; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: suicides