Prolonged Pregnancy Linked To Behavioural Problems Later In Life

Prolonged Pregnancy Linked To Behavioural Problems Later In Life

According to a study published in International Journal of Epidemiology, post term  babies are more likely to develop behavioral problems later in life. The study draws attention not only on the importance of calculating the exact age of the baby but also the possible link between prolonged pregnancy and behavioral disorders occurring in post-term babies.

Prolonged pregnancy is considered a pregnancy over 42 weeks. Normal pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, ie 280 days, starting with the first day of the last period (for a normal and regular menstrual cycle). The causes of prolonged pregnancy remain yet unclear. It seems that the factors involved are maternal, fetal and genetic. It was found that women at their first pregnancy have a higher risk of prolonged pregnancy, women also too young or too old have a higher risk of prolonged pregnancy. The longest recorded pregnancy in literature lasted 1 year and 24 days and the baby was born with anencephaly (no brain).

Prolonged Pregnancy

Usually, pregnancies over 42 weeks are associated with infants with malformations or abnormalities of the nervous system. However, prolonged pregnancy involves an increased risk of perinatal mortality.

Recently, researchers have found that babies born over 42 weeks recored a higher incidence of behavior problems than their normal peers born at term. Hanan El Marroun, the author of the study entitled ‘Post-term birth and the risk of Behavioural and emotional problems in early childhood,’ said these children have also a higher risk of having ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). It is very important for future studies to establish causal relationship between post-term birth and impaired behaviour.

Scientists conducted a prospective cohort study, that analyzed the cases of women who gave birth between April 2002 and January 2006 in Rotterdam. Of the 5145 babies, 382 (7%) were born post-term and 226 (4%) were born pre-term. Pregnancy age was established by ultrasound, and children were analyzed at 18 and 36 months using a standardized questionnaire completed by parents.

Researchers found that children born preterm and post term had behavioral problems. As Hanan Marroun, the author of the study,  mentions, further studies must be conducted to identify the cause of prolonged pregnancy and the connection between it and behavioral disorders in children. There are several assumptions that were under discussion. One of them is aging of the placenta which may not provide sufficient intake of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus after 42 weeks. Other causes are represented by endocrine disorders or maternal stress in certain key points of fetal development that can result in neuroendocrine abnormalities and may trigger behavioral disorders in children later in life.