Does preterm birth affect child temperament? A meta-analytic study

Rafaela G M Cassiano; Livio Provenzi; Maria Beatriz Martins Linhares; Claudia M Gaspardo; Rosario Montirosso

doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.101417

Does preterm birth affect child temperament? A meta-analytic study

Infant Behav Dev. 2020 Feb:58:101417. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.101417. Epub 2020 Jan 8.

Authors

Rafaela G M Cassiano¹, Livio Provenzi², Maria Beatriz Martins Linhares³, Claudia M Gaspardo³, Rosario Montirosso⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Avenida Tenente Catão Roxo, 2260, Ribeirão Preto, SP, CEP: 14051-140, Brazil. Electronic address: rafaelagmc@usp.br.
² Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
³ Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Avenida Tenente Catão Roxo, 2260, Ribeirão Preto, SP, CEP: 14051-140, Brazil.
⁴ 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, via Don Luigi Monza 20, 23842 Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy.

PMID: 31927307
DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.101417

Abstract

The present meta-analytic study was conducted to examine differences in temperament between preterm and full-term children, considering behavior style and psychobiological approaches. Moreover, we explored the potential moderators of the associations between prematurity and temperament. A systematic literature search was performed on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL. Twenty-two studies were analyzed. Preterm children showed a higher Activity level as well as lower Attentional Focusing and Attention Span/Persistence, in comparison with their full-term counterparts. Extremely preterm children showed a higher Activity level than other preterm levels. These findings support the conclusion that preterm children present with a less regulated temperament relative to those born full term.

Keywords: Meta-analysis; Prematurity; Temperament.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Attention / physiology*
Child
Family / psychology
Female
Humans
Infant, Low Birth Weight / physiology
Infant, Low Birth Weight / psychology
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Newborn, Diseases / physiopathology
Infant, Newborn, Diseases / psychology
Infant, Premature / physiology*
Infant, Premature / psychology*
Male
Temperament / physiology*