London - Babies born prematurely are at risk of growing into neurotic adults, research suggests.
Infants born at a very low weight or more than five weeks early are more likely to become introverted, risk averse and neurotic in later life, experts warned.
Scientists have known for some time that premature infants are at risk of difficulties in their relationships and careers when they grow up.
But the latest research, conducted by academics at the universities of Warwick, Oxford and Brighton, suggests that this may be because this group is more likely to display certain psychological traits.
Their data did not detail the reasons for the link, but the scientists suggested it may be because of the changes to the brain that come about during the intense medical treatment of premature babies. The scientists, whose work is published in the Archives Of Disease In Childhood medical journal, studied health records from 400 children born in southern Germany in 1985/86.
Half of the group were born either before 32 weeks of pregnancy or at a low birth weight of less than 3lb 5oz, while the other half were born at term and within a normal weight range.
At the age of 26, all 400 participants were revisited and their personalities assessed.
The team found that those who had been premature or underweight at birth were significantly more likely to be introverted, neurotic, tense, anxious and wary of new experiences. These character traits are associated with people on the autistic spectrum, the researchers said.
They describe a “socially withdrawn personality,” or someone who is easily worried, less socially engaged, less interested in risk taking, and less communicative, they added.
The team, led by Warwick psychologist Professor Dieter Wolke, suggested that these children are likely to be exposed to considerable stresses in neonatal intensive care, which may affect brain development and adult adaptation.
The problem might also be linked to the over-protective attitude of the parents of very ill babies, the team suggested. “[Early] birth is likely to elicit parental concerns and may lead to parental over-involvement, protectiveness and less risk-taking behaviours in adulthood,” they wrote.
Daily Mail