OBSTETRIC AND PERINATAL FACTORS AS PREDICTORS OF CHILD-BEHAVIOR AT 5 YEARS

Objective: To identify whether obstetric and perinatal factors are ind ependent predictors of child behaviour at 5 years. Methodology: The Ma ter University Study of Pregnancy (MUSP) is a prospective cohort study of 8556 mothers enrolled in early pregnancy. The relationship of obst etric and perinatal factors, maternal lifestyle, age and gender of the child, and social disadvantage were examined as predictors of child b ehaviour in 5005 children completing a modified child behaviour checkl ist at 5 years. This checklist contained three independent groups of b ehaviour: externalizing, internalizing and SAT (social, attentional an d thought problems). Results: In the initial analysis a limited number of associations were present. After adjusting for measures of social disadvantage, only number of antenatal admissions was associated with child behaviour in all three scales, while maternal cigarette smoking in pregnancy and male gender were associated with externalising and SA T behaviours. Conclusions: Most common epidemiologic obstetric and per inatal risk factors were not independent predictors of behaviour probl ems in children at 5 years.