Health and behaviour problems at 8 weeks as predictors of behaviour problems at 8 months

Objective-To assess the value of health and behavioural problems at 8 weeks as predictors of behavioural problems at 8 months in a whole year birth co hort. Study design-Prospective birth cohort study. Setting-The socially and ethnically diverse city of Coventry. Main outcome-Parent reported behavioural problems at 8 months. Method-Parent reported infant health and behaviour data were collected, usi ng a validated questionnaire administered by the family health visitor at 8 weeks and 8 months, on 1541 infants participating in the Coventry cohort s tudy. Sociodemographic data were collected at the health visitor's initial visit. Unadjusted relative risks (with 95% confidence intervals (CI)) of be haviour problems at 8 months by sociodemographic variables and health and b ehavioural problems at 8 weeks were estimated. Adjustment for confounding w as made by logistic regression. Results-Infants reported to have behavioural problems at 8 weeks had a sign ificant risk of parent reported behavioural problems at 8 months (adjusted relative risk, 3.44; 95% CI, 1.95 to 6.09) after adjustment for other healt h outcomes and sociodemographic factors. Of infants with behavioural proble ms by 8 weeks of age, 19.1% were reported to have behavioural problems at 8 months. Conclusions-Infants whose parents report behaviour problems by 8 weeks of a ge are at higher risk of behavioural problems at 8 months. However, despite the higher risk, the proportions of infants identified by behaviour at 8 w eeks were too small for the early outcomes to be useful as predictors of be haviour at 8 months in the whole infant population.