Behavioral problems in very preterm children at five years of age using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A multicenter cohort study

Introduction: Children born very preterm (VPT) are at increased risk of emotional and behavioral problems later in life. We aimed to determine the prevalence and spectrum of behavioral abnormalities at five years of age in VPT children. Methods: Multi-center cohort study on 339 early-school aged children born at a gestational age below 32 weeks, between 2008 and 2011 and followed through the SwissNeoNet. Behavior was assessed with the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire and compared to published German norms. Analysis of perinatal, neonatal, socio-economic and neurodevelopmental risk factors was performed using multivariable logistic regression. Results: 30.7% of 1105 VPT surviving children were assessed at mean age 67.3 months (SD 5.9). Compared to the reference population, VPT children had significantly higher scores for emotional symptoms (odds ratio 1.53, 95% confidence interval 1.11.-2.12), while the total difficulties score was similar (1.16, 0.85-1.58). Lower socioeconomic status was the only independent predictor of at-risk behavior (borderline and abnormal behavior). Conclusion: The spectrum of behavioral abnormalities in a current Swiss cohort of VPT children differs from the previously published data as hyperactivity was not a prominent symptom. Instead, emotional problems were reported to occur more frequently, with an increased prevalence for those coming from a lower socioeconomic background.