Editorial: Is Preterm Birth Overlooked in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry?

Abstract

Obstetric factors have long been recognized as risk factors for the later development of poor mental health. One of the most consistently reported of these associations is for preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks' gestation), a form of early adversity that impacts health and development across the life course. Preterm birth is not uncommon: in 2014, 10.6% of live births globally (nearly 15 million babies) were preterm.¹ Advances in neonatal care since the early 1990s have dramatically increased the numbers of babies who survive extreme preterm birth (birth at <28 weeks' gestation) in high-income countries. This has led to growing interest in how extreme preterm birth impacts longer term outcomes including psychosocial development across the life span.