Babies born prematurely are more likely to be diagnosed with depression than full term infants, according to a new Finnish study.
Research by the University of Turku used material from an extensive national register, and found that girls born before the 28th week of pregnancy are three times more likely than their peers born near full term to be diagnosed with depression.
The study examined 37,000 children born between 1987 and 2007 who had been diagnosed. They were compared to nearly 150,000 children in the same age cohort who had not been diagnosed with depression.
Researchers also found a heightened risk of depression in full- and post-term children who had poor foetal growth.
The study is part of broader research into the link between various factors during pregnancy and psychiatric disorders.
The results of the study also considered parents’ mental health disorders, mothers’ drug problems, smoking during pregnancy, mothers' previous births as well as their marital and socioeconomic status.