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A study has found that a baby’s birth weight may be able to detect their risk of psychological issues as they get older. When a baby is born, there is always information that everyone wants to know. They want to know if it is a boy or a girl, what time they were born, and how much they weigh.
Birth weight is one of those nice little things to remember, especially as that baby grows into a toddler and a child, but it can have impacts on their health for the rest of their lives. The world takes this seriously by conducting studies on birth weight, and what it can mean for long-term health.
According to Medical Xpress, a study has found that birth weight could help identify children who are at a higher risk of developing psychological issues. The study was done by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, and it can be read in full here.
What the researchers found was that babies who had larger birth weights had lower instances of mental health struggles and behavioral issues as they grew into children and adolescents. They state that this study could help medical providers identify which children are at the highest risk, and provide treatment quicker.
When it comes to mental health struggles, the earlier they are recognized, and the sooner treatment starts, the better the outcome will be. It is crucial that they are identified as soon as possible, and birth weight could be the clue.
When it comes to what birth weight was the baseline, they found that anything lower than the average of 7lbs, 11oz was connected with a higher risk. They also found that these psychological issues occurred between the age of 9 and 17 years old.
To complete this study, researchers looked at thousands of children in Ireland, and what made this study different was that it was able to follow them through their childhood, and watch for signs of psychological issues. They found that the most common issues that they saw were inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. This means that they are behaviors that are most commonly associated with ADHD.
They found that for every kilogram that was dropped below the average birth weight, there was a 2% increased risk for ADHD and other psychological issues. This may be a good reminder to parents, and medical providers to pay closer attention to how much children weigh at birth.
Sources: Medical Xpress, Springer Link
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