Infant Growth after Preterm Birth and Mental Health in Young Adulthood.
OBJECTIVE
Faster growth after preterm birth benefits long-term cognitive functioning. Whether these benefits extend to mental health remains largely unknown. We examined if faster growth in infancy is associated with better self-reported mental health in young adults born preterm at very low birth weight (VLBW) (< 1500 g).


METHODS
As young adults, participants of the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults self-reported symptoms of depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n = 157) and other psychiatric problems (n = 104). As main predictors of mental health outcomes in linear regression models, we used infant weight, length, and head circumference at birth, term, and 12 months of corrected age, and growth between these time points. Growth data were collected from records and measures at term and at 12 months of corrected age were interpolated. Additionally, we examined the moderating effects of intrauterine growth restriction.


RESULTS
Size at birth, term, or 12 months of corrected age, or growth between these time points were not associated with mental health outcomes (p-values >0.05). Intrauterine growth restriction did not systematically moderate any associations.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the high variability in early growth of VLBW infants, the previously described association between slow growth in infancy and poorer cognitive functioning in later life is not reflected in symptoms of depression, ADHD, and other psychiatric problems. This suggests that the development of cognitive and psychiatric problems may have dissimilar critical periods in VLBW infants.
Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Sara
S
Sammallahti
Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Marius
M
Lahti
Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Riikka
R
Pyhälä
Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Folkhälsan Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland.
Jari
J
Lahti
Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Anu-Katriina
AK
Pesonen
Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Kati
K
Heinonen
National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Petteri
P
Hovi
National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Folkhälsan Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland; Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Vasa Central Hospital, Vasa, Finland; Unit of General Practice, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Johan G
JG
Eriksson
National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Sonja
S
Strang-Karlsson
Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Anna-Liisa
AL
Järvenpää
Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Sture
S
Andersson
National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Eero
E
Kajantie
Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Katri
K
Räikkönen
D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000523:psychology*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010829:Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000523:psychology*; D047929:Term Birth / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult