Mental health, neurodevelopmental, and family psychosocial profiles of children born very preterm at risk of an early‐onset anxiety disorder

AIM: To compare the mental health and neurodevelopmental profiles of school-age children born very preterm, with and without an anxiety disorder, and to identify neonatal medical, psychosocial, and concurrent neurodevelopmental correlates. METHOD: A regional cohort of 102 (51 males, 51 females) children born very preterm (mean SD gestation at birth=28wks 2, range=23-31wks) was studied from birth to age 9 years alongside a comparison group of 109 (58 males, 51 females) children born at term (mean SD gestation at birth=40wks 1, range=38-41wks). At age 9 years, all children underwent a neurodevelopmental evaluation while parents were interviewed using the Development and Well-Being Assessment to diagnose a range of DSM-IV childhood psychiatric disorders. Detailed information was also available about the children's neonatal medical course and postnatal psychosocial environment, including maternal mental health and parenting. RESULTS: At age 9 years, 21% (n=21) of very preterm and 13% (n=14) of term-born children met diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder. Clinically-anxious children born very preterm were characterized by higher rates of comorbid mental health (odds ratio OR=11.5, 95% confidence interval CI=3.8-34.7), social (OR=6.2, 95% CI=2.1-18.4), motor (OR=4.4, 95% CI=1.6-12.2), and cognitive (OR=2.6, 95% CI=1.0-7.0) problems than those without an anxiety disorder. Concurrent maternal mental health and child social difficulties were the strongest independent correlates of early-onset child anxiety disorders. INTERPRETATION: Children born very preterm who developed an early-onset anxiety disorder were subject to high rates of comorbid problems. Findings highlight the importance of addressing both maternal and child mental health issues to optimize outcomes in this high-risk population. What this paper adds One out of five school-age children born very preterm are likely to meet DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder. Half of these children born very preterm with an early-onset anxiety disorder have comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Other neurodevelopmental correlates of early-onset anxiety disorders include lower cognitive ability, motor problems, and peer social difficulties. Concurrent maternal mental health and child social adjustment problems were the strongest correlates of early-onset anxiety disorder risk among children born very preterm.