Concordance of Maternal and Teacher Ratings of School and Behavior Problems in Children of Varying Birth Weights

To examine the concordance of mother and teacher ratings of children born at different birth weights on measures of school functioning, behavioral problems, and social competencies, we used a prospective cohort study involving children in two previously studied multisite birth cohorts whom we recontacted at 8 to 10 years of age. This provided a multisite sample of 784 low birth weight children and 334 normal birth weight children. Teacher reports of children's behaviors were obtained from 80% of the 1400 teachers contacted. We found that birth weight and neonatal health were associated with both maternal and teacher reports; that maternal characteristics, e.g., low levels of education and poor mental health, were associated with the greatest discrepancies in reports; and that although mothers' reports of objective measures were accurate, their assessments of behavioral problems and social competence often differed from those of teachers.