Behavioral and psychiatric assessment of preterm and full-term low birth weight children at 9-11 years of age.

Preterm (N = 33) and full-term (N = 18) low birth weight subjects were compared at age 9 to 11 years to 52 full-term normal birth weight subjects of similar age and socioeconomic levels. All groups were evaluated by a psychiatrist who was not aware of prenatal or perinatal histories at the time of the interview. Mothers completed various standardized questionnaires designed to elicit information about the children's behaviors. There were no significant differences among the groups in the numbers of subjects with diagnoses of psychiatric disorders or in scores on ratings of hyperactivity, general behavioral maladjustment, and specific behavioral factors. These results indicate that low birth weight per se does not portend serious psychiatric sequelae during middle childhood.