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Associations between problems with crying, sleeping and/or feeding in infancy and long-term behavioural outcomes in childhood : a meta-analysis

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Hemmi, Mirja Helen, Wolke, Dieter and Schneider, Silvia (2011) Associations between problems with crying, sleeping and/or feeding in infancy and long-term behavioural outcomes in childhood : a meta-analysis. Archives of Disease in Childhood, Vol.96 (No.7). pp. 622-629. doi:10.1136/adc.2010.191312

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/adc.2010.191312

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Abstract

Background Excessive crying, sleeping or feeding problems are found in approximately 20% of infants and may predict behavioural problems in childhood.

Methods A quantitative meta-analysis of 22 longitudinal studies from 1987 to 2006 that statistically tested the association between infant regulatory problems and childhood internalising, externalising and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) problems was carried out; 1935 children with regulatory problems were tested. Cohen's d was used to express the association between regulatory problems and behavioural problems. Heterogeneity of the effect sizes was assessed using the I 2 statistic and meta-analysis of variance and meta-regressions were conducted to assess the influence of moderators. Rosenthal's classic fail-safe N and correlation of sample sizes to effect sizes were used to assess publication bias.

Results The weighted mean effect size for the main regulatory problems-behavioural problems association was 0.41 (95% CI 0.28 to 0.54), indicating that children with previous regulatory problems have more behavioural problems than controls. Externalising and ADHD problems were the strongest outcome of any regulatory problem, indicated by the highest fail-safe N and lowest correlation of sample size to effect size. Meta-analyses of variance revealed no significant moderating influences of regulatory problem comorbidity (I(2) = 44.0, p > 0.05), type (I(2) = 41.8, p > 0.05) or duration (I(2) = 44.0, p > 0.05). However, cumulative problems and clinical referral increased the risk of behavioural problems.

Conclusions The meta-analyses suggest that children with previous regulatory problems have more behavioural problems than controls, particularly in multi-problem families. Further studies are required to assess the behavioural outcomes of previously sleep, feeding or multiply disturbed children.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics

Divisions:

Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Crying in infants, Infants -- Sleep, Behavior disorders in children

Journal or Publication Title:

Archives of Disease in Childhood

Publisher:

BMJ

ISSN:

0003-9888

Official Date:

July 2011

Dates:

Date	Event
July 2011	Published

Volume:

Vol.96

Number:

No.7

Page Range:

pp. 622-629

DOI:

10.1136/adc.2010.191312

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Publication Status:

Published

Access rights to Published version:

Restricted or Subscription Access

Funder:

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung [Swiss National Science Foundation] (SNSF), Universität Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche & Co. (FHLRCo.), Freiwilligen Akademische Gesellschaft (FAG)

Grant number:

51A240-104890 (SNF)

Version or Related Resource:

Wolke, D. (2011). Associations between problems with crying, sleeping, and/or feeding in infancy and long-term behavioural outcomes in childhood : a meta analysis. 11th International Infant Cry Research Workshop, The Netherlands, 8-10 June. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/40699

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