Does Late Childbearing Increase the Risk for Behavioural Problems in Children? A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Background: This study aimed to examine the relationship between advanced parental age and behavioural outcomes in offspring in a longitudinal cohort of children in Western Australia.Methods: The Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) is a prospective study of 2900 pregnancies. Offspring were f...

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Main Authors: Tearne, J., Robinson, M., Jacoby, P., Li, Jianghong, Newnham, J., McLean, N.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30142
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author Tearne, J.
Robinson, M.
Jacoby, P.
Li, Jianghong
Newnham, J.
McLean, N.
author_facet Tearne, J.
Robinson, M.
Jacoby, P.
Li, Jianghong
Newnham, J.
McLean, N.
author_sort Tearne, J.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Background: This study aimed to examine the relationship between advanced parental age and behavioural outcomes in offspring in a longitudinal cohort of children in Western Australia.Methods: The Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) is a prospective study of 2900 pregnancies. Offspring were followed up at ages 2, 5, 8, 10, 14, and 17 years, and 1754 adolescents were available for follow-up at 17 years. The Child Behaviour Checklist was used to measure child behaviour, including internalising (e.g. anxious/withdrawn) and externalising (e.g. aggressive/destructive) behaviours.Results: There was a significant linear relationship between maternal age and total internalising and externalising behaviour outcomes, but not paternal age. Increasing maternal age was associated with decreasing risk for problem behaviours in offspring. In the categorical models, young maternal age (20–24 years) was associated with significantly increased risk for problem behaviours in offspring relative to offspring of parents in the reference group (25–29 years), and a paternal age of 35–39 years was associated with decreased risk for total behaviour morbidity in offspring.Conclusions: This study showed no evidence that late fatherhood is associated with adverse behavioural outcomes in offspring. Increasing maternal age was found to be a protective factor for child behaviour morbidity.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-301422019-02-19T05:36:13Z Does Late Childbearing Increase the Risk for Behavioural Problems in Children? A Longitudinal Cohort Study Tearne, J. Robinson, M. Jacoby, P. Li, Jianghong Newnham, J. McLean, N. behavioural development mental health CBCL Raine study late parenthood Background: This study aimed to examine the relationship between advanced parental age and behavioural outcomes in offspring in a longitudinal cohort of children in Western Australia.Methods: The Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) is a prospective study of 2900 pregnancies. Offspring were followed up at ages 2, 5, 8, 10, 14, and 17 years, and 1754 adolescents were available for follow-up at 17 years. The Child Behaviour Checklist was used to measure child behaviour, including internalising (e.g. anxious/withdrawn) and externalising (e.g. aggressive/destructive) behaviours.Results: There was a significant linear relationship between maternal age and total internalising and externalising behaviour outcomes, but not paternal age. Increasing maternal age was associated with decreasing risk for problem behaviours in offspring. In the categorical models, young maternal age (20–24 years) was associated with significantly increased risk for problem behaviours in offspring relative to offspring of parents in the reference group (25–29 years), and a paternal age of 35–39 years was associated with decreased risk for total behaviour morbidity in offspring.Conclusions: This study showed no evidence that late fatherhood is associated with adverse behavioural outcomes in offspring. Increasing maternal age was found to be a protective factor for child behaviour morbidity. 2015 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30142 10.1111/ppe.12165 Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. restricted
spellingShingle behavioural development
mental health
CBCL
Raine study
late parenthood
Tearne, J.
Robinson, M.
Jacoby, P.
Li, Jianghong
Newnham, J.
McLean, N.
Does Late Childbearing Increase the Risk for Behavioural Problems in Children? A Longitudinal Cohort Study
title Does Late Childbearing Increase the Risk for Behavioural Problems in Children? A Longitudinal Cohort Study
title_full Does Late Childbearing Increase the Risk for Behavioural Problems in Children? A Longitudinal Cohort Study
title_fullStr Does Late Childbearing Increase the Risk for Behavioural Problems in Children? A Longitudinal Cohort Study
title_full_unstemmed Does Late Childbearing Increase the Risk for Behavioural Problems in Children? A Longitudinal Cohort Study
title_short Does Late Childbearing Increase the Risk for Behavioural Problems in Children? A Longitudinal Cohort Study
title_sort does late childbearing increase the risk for behavioural problems in children? a longitudinal cohort study
topic behavioural development
mental health
CBCL
Raine study
late parenthood
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30142