Neonatal behaviour characteristics and psychological problems at 6 years.

AIM: To examine the predictive capacity of the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) on psychological problems at the age of 6 y.

METHODS

Eighty full-term infants of optimal health were evaluated at 3 d and 4 wk of age with the NBAS and at 6 y with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Inattention-Overactivity with Aggression Conners Teacher's Rating Scale (IOWA).

RESULTS

The NBAS clusters' predictive value was different at 3 d and at 4 wk. Orientation at 3 d and habituation at 4 wk were the best predictors of psychological problems. At 3 d, lower orientation scores and higher motor and habituation scores predicted higher scores in externalizing problems. Externalizing problems were least influenced by background variables. Only in girls were internalizing problems associated with lower orientation scores. At 4 wk, lower habituation cluster scores predicted higher scores in internalizing problems.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that the NBAS could be useful for identifying neonates at risk of later psychological problems.