已往有研究表明，妊娠不足32周出生的儿童易患“多动症”。最近，在荷兰完成的研究进一步表明，即便是于妊娠32～35周出生的儿童亦易患“情绪与行为异常”，且常伴有医学上无法解释的躯体不适等。分析发现，这些早产的孩子在上幼儿园时就可以表现出情绪和/或行为异常。上述结果提示，除非必须（如胎儿异常、羊水不足、脐带绕颈或胎膜早破等），孕妇应尽可能足月分娩，以利于下一代的成长。另外，对于早产儿于出生后应密切观察其情绪与行为的变化，发现异常尽早干预，以及时纠正之。

Behavior Problems May Surface in Preemies by Preschool

These kids might benefit from early targeted help, researchers say

FRIDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Preschool children who were born just a few weeks too early are at increased risk for behavioral and emotional problems, new research suggests.

Researchers in the Netherlands looked at the results of behavioral and emotional development tests on about 1,500 children when they were 4 years old. Of those children, about 600 were full-term babies and nearly 1,000 were born between 32 and 35 weeks of pregnancy, which is classified as "moderately premature."

Compared with the full-term children, the moderately premature children were nearly twice as likely to have emotional and behavioral problems and nearly twice as likely to have somatic complaints, which are physical symptoms with no medical explanation.

The study was published online Dec. 6 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

"Our results demonstrate that moderately premature children are more likely to already have behavioral and emotional problems before they enter school," and these children may benefit from targeted help, the researchers wrote in a journal news release.

They noted that behavioral and emotional problems in preschool children tend to continue into later childhood and adolescence and are likely to harm their school performance and friendships.

Previous research has shown that children born very premature (under 32 weeks) have significantly more behavioral and emotional problems than children born full-term.

SOURCE: Archives of Disease in Childhood, news release, Dec. 5, 2011