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Mental health outcomes at age 11 of very low birth weight infants in Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2015

F. McNicholas ,
E. Healy ,
M. White ,
M. Sheridan-Pereira ,
N. O’Connor ,
S. Coakley  and
B. Dooley
F. McNicholas*
Affiliation:
Lucena Clinic, Rathgar, Dublin, Ireland Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland School of medicine and medical Science, University College Dublin, Belfield Dublin 4, Ireland Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
E. Healy
Affiliation:
Lucena Clinic, Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland
M. White
Affiliation:
Coombe Woman and Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland Department of Pediatrics, Royal college of Surgeons, 123 St Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
M. Sheridan-Pereira
Affiliation:
Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland Coombe Woman and Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland Department of Pediatrics, School of medicine, Trinity college, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
N. O’Connor
Affiliation:
Lucena Clinic, Rathgar, Dublin, Ireland
S. Coakley
Affiliation:
Lucena Clinic, Rathgar, Dublin, Ireland
B. Dooley
Affiliation:
College of Human Sciences, University College Dublin School of Psychology, Dublin, Ireland
*
*Address for correspondence: Professor F. McNicholas, Lucena Clinic Services, 59 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6, Ireland. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Aim

To compare mental health (MH) outcomes of and service use by children born under 1500 g in Ireland with a matched control group.

Method

Using a retrospective cohort design, semi-structured and standardised MH assessments were conducted with parents, teachers and youth.

Results

A total of 64 of 127 surviving children from a very low birth weight (VLBW) cohort from a National Maternity Hospital participated at a mean age of 11.6 years (s.d. 1.0), along with 51 matched controls. More VLBW children received clinical or borderline scores when rated by parents [χ2 (1, n=114)=7.3, p=0.007] or youths [χ2 (1, n=114)=4.83, p=0.028], but not by teachers [χ2 (1, n=114)=1.243, p=0.463]. There was no increase in the use of MH services. A main effect of birth weight remained on the parent Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire [F (1, 88)=5.07, p<0.05) after controlling for intelligence quotient (IQ) and socio-economic status (SES), but only on hyperactivity in males. SES, rather than IQ or birth weight, predicted identification of problems by teachers [F (1, 82)=6.99, p=0.01).

Interpretations

Teachers miss MH difficulties and are influenced more by SES than by IQ or birth weight. This has implications for MH service access. Initial perinatal investment needs to be matched with ongoing surveillance and psychoeducation to ensure that disorders are recognised early and offered appropriate interventions.

Keywords

Mental health outcomesmulti-rater agreementservice usevery low birth weight
Type
Original Research
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 33 , Issue 2 , June 2016 , pp. 93 - 104
Copyright
© College of Psychiatrists of Ireland 2015 

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