title: Low birth weight and features of neuroticism and mood disorder in 83 545 participants of the UK Biobank cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low birth weight has been inconsistently associated with risk of developing affective disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD). To date, studies investigating possible associations between birth weight and bipolar disorder (BD), or personality traits known to predispose to affective disorders such as neuroticism, have not been conducted in large cohorts.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether very low birth weight (<1500 g) and low birth weight (1500-2490 g) were associated with higher neuroticism scores assessed in middle age, and lifetime history of either MDD or BD. We controlled for possible confounding factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study using baseline data on the 83 545 UK Biobank participants with detailed mental health and birth weight data. Main outcomes were prevalent MDD and BD, and neuroticism assessed using the Eysenck Personality Inventory Neuroticism scale - Revised (EPIN-R).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Referent to normal birth weight, very low/low birth weight were associated with higher neuroticism scores, increased MDD and BD. The associations between birth weight category and MDD were partially mediated by higher neuroticism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that intrauterine programming may play a role in lifetime vulnerability to affective disorders.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  None.
  © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.
authors.affiliation: , PhD, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Donald M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lyall
authors.affiliation: , PhD, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Hazel M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Inskip
authors.affiliation: , PhD, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.affiliation: , PhD, Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Deary
authors.affiliation: , MD, Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK, Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.affiliation: , PhD, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hotopf
authors.affiliation: , MD, Primary Medical Care Group, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kendrick
authors.affiliation: , MD.
authors.forename: Jill P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pell
authors.affiliation: , MD, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Smith