NIH STUDY EXAMINES EARLY LIFE FACTORS AFFECTING BEHAVIOR AND WELL-BEING OF YOUNG CHILDREN

DURHAM, N.C., April 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Children born preterm and those whose families experienced social, environmental, or economic hardships were more likely to have persistent behavior difficulties, according to new research funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program (ECHO) at the National Institutes of Health.

ECHO researchers found that factors such as preterm birth, family hardship, and prenatal substance exposure may increase a child's risk for persistent behavior and emotional difficulties. These difficulties in early childhood can potentially lead to later problems such as anxiety, depression, attention deficits, and aggression.

"Conditions during pregnancy and early infancy can identify toddlers who may benefit from early enriched services," said Julie Hofheimer, PhD, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

ECHO researchers collected early childhood behavior data on nearly 4,000 children born between 1990 and 2019 from 20 ECHO research sites from across the United States. Researchers then compared the children's scores for emotional difficulties (anxiety, depression, attention, and aggression) to their behavioral well-being in the first six years of life.

"Family support services tailored to the individual needs of children may prevent later behavioral problems and improve future outcomes for vulnerable children and their families," said Dr. Hofheimer.

Monica McGrath, ScD, and Rashelle Musci, PhD, both of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Dr. Hofheimer led this collaborative research published in JAMA Network Open.

Hofheimer, J. et al. Psychosocial and Neonatal Risk Factors Associated with Behavioral Dysregulation Trajectories Among Young Children from 18 through 72 Months of Age. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.10059.

About ECHO: ECHO is a nationwide research program supported by the NIH. Launched in 2016, ECHO aims to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

About the NIH: NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information, visit www.nih.gov.

SOURCE NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program

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