Developmental trajectories of internalizing problems among individuals born very preterm/very low birthweight: early risk and resilience factors write Yanlin Zhou ..
Peter Bartmann, Nicole Tsalacopoulos and Dieter Wolke. Read full findings here
Individuals born very preterm (VPT; < 32 weeks) or with very low birthweight (VLBW; < 1500 g) are at higher risk for internalizing problems compared to those born at term (37–42 weeks) or with normal birthweight (> 2500 g). However, group-level comparisons often overlook individual differences within these populations. Using data from the Bavarian Longitudinal Study, a German population-based birth cohort, this study aims to investigate developmental trajectories of internalizing problems from childhood to adulthood in 368 VPT/VLBW individuals and to identify early-life neonatal, family, neurodevelopmental, and social factors associated with these trajectories. Early interventions targeting higher-risk groups—such as those with lower gestational age, neurosensory impairments, socioeconomic disadvantages, family adversity, or challenging temperaments—and promoting resilience factors like positive parenting, have the potential to improve long-term mental health outcomes for VPT/VLBW individuals.
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