Premature Or Low Birthweight Babies At Significantly Increased Risk Of Hyperactivity Disorder

Premature or low birthweight babies are up to three times as likely to become hyperactive, with low attention spans, suggests research published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

The Danish research team compared the birth records of 834 children with confirmed HKD with those of 20,100 children with no mental disorders. All the children were born between 1980 and 1994.

Children born at between 34 and 36 weeks were around 70% more likely to develop the disorder than children born at term. Babies at born below 34 completed weeks were almost three times as likely to develop the disorder.

Low birthweight babies born at term were also at risk, the study showed.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by BMJ Specialty Journals. See Doug Cowan's website at DouglasCowan.me.