title: Not living with both parents is associated with more health- and developmental problems in infants aged 7 to 11 months: a cross sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Western countries, many children are affected by the separation of their parents. Our main objective was to assess the possible impact of parental separation family structure on certain aspects of somatic health in low-age children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional study based on data collected in the framework of free preventive medicine consultations in the French Community of Belgium. The data was derived from assessments conducted, between 2006 and 2012, on children 7 to 11 months after birth during which information of 79701 infants was collected regarding the risk of sudden infant death, psychomotor development, and development in terms of height and weight. The main outcome measures were: episode of risk of sudden infant death, polysomnography, home monitoring, psychomotor development, and body mass index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The parents of 6.6% of the infants were separated. We established multivariable models, based on the presence or absence of confounders. The adjusted ORs (95% CI) of symptoms perceived as frightening, notably at night, of a prescription for a polysomnography, of an abnormal polysomnography result, and of follow-up by home monitoring were thus respectively 1.3 (1.1-1.6), 1.1 (0.9-1.3), 1.8 (1.3-2.4), and 1.3 (1.1-1.6). The adjusted ORs (95% CI) for psychomotor delay and for a body mass index above the 97(th) percentile were respectively 1.3 (1.0-1.6) and 1.2 (1.1-1.3) in the event of separation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms the possibility that not living with both parents is an independent risk factor for the somatic health and psychomotor development of infants. This observation should be verified because it would have a major impact on the actions of family doctors and other first-line healthcare providers, in particular with regard to information and targeted prevention.
authors.affiliation: Département de Médecine Générale, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Facultaire Erasme, Route de Lennik 808/612, 1070, Bruxelles, Belgium. Nadine.Kacenelenbogen@ulb.ac.be.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kacenelenbogen
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie, Biostatistique et Recherche Clinique, Ecole de santé publique, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Erasme CP598, Route de Lennik 808, 1070, Bruxelles, Belgium. michele.dramaix@ulb.ac.be.
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dramaix-Wilmet
authors.affiliation: Département de Médecine Générale, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Facultaire Erasme, Route de Lennik 808/612, 1070, Bruxelles, Belgium. mafraco@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schetgen
authors.affiliation: Département de Médecine Générale, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Facultaire Erasme, Route de Lennik 808/612, 1070, Bruxelles, Belgium. mroland@ulb.ac.be.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roland
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002657:Child Development; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010290:Parents; D012307:Risk Factors