Externalizing behaviors in preadolescents: familial risk to externalizing behaviors, prenatal and perinatal risks, and their interactions

Abstract

Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that there is a rich and varied interplay between persons and their environments, which strongly suggests that this involves gene-environment correlations and interactions. We investigated whether familial risk (FR) to externalizing behaviors and prenatal and perinatal risk factors, separately or in interaction with each other, predicted externalizing behaviors. Methods: The subjects were 10- to 12-year-old preadolescents who were taking part in TRAILS, a large prospective population-based cohort study (N = 2,230). Regression analyses were used to determine the relative contribution of FR and prenatal and perinatal risks to parent and teacher ratings of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity aggression, and delinquency. Results: Regression models explained between 6 and 11% of the variance of externalizing behaviors. We found main effects of FR (vs. no FR), macrosomia (birth weight > 4,500 g), maternal prenatal smoking (MPS), pregnancy and delivery complications (PDCs), and gender that were rather consistent across rater and outcome measures. For some outcome measures, the effect of MPS and PDCs depended on the presence of FR. These included both positive and negative interaction effects. Correlations between FR and prenatal and perinatal risks were significant but rather low. Conclusions: Both main effects and interaction effects of FR and prenatal and perinatal risks contributed to externalizing behaviors in preadolescents, but all effects were of small size. Further research including use of candidate gene polymorphisms is necessary to identify the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of these main and interaction effects

Does low birth weight share common genetic or environmental risk with childhood disruptive disorders?

“…Indeed, it appears that there may be complex relations between prenatal smoking exposure and the phenotypes of interest in the current investigation. Little and Sing (1987) found that the pattern of genetic and environmental influences on infant birth weight differed for smoking and nonsmoking mothers, and other investigations have reported associations between prenatal cigarette smoke exposure, low birth weight, and behavioral problems in children (Buschgens et al, 2009; Kramer, 1987; Langley et al, 2007), though these associations may be confounded by factors such as maternal ADHD symptoms (Thapar, et al, 2009). Because smoking during pregnancy was reported by very few mothers in the current investigation, we were unable to examine whether prenatal cigarette exposure moderated or accounted for the associations between birth weight and disruptive disorders.…”

Role of Perinatal Adversities on Tic Severity and Symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents With a Tic Disorder

“…In a recent cohort of preadolescents from the general population, interactions between a family history of externalizing behavior and maternal prenatal smoking have been reported. 19 In the etiology of ADHD as such, evidence regarding a role of gene-environment (mainly prenatal smoking exposure) interactions has been increasing 16 : for example, children who had been exposed to prenatal smoking demonstrated more severe hyperactive-impulsive symptoms if they had 10-repeat allele of the dopamine transporter 1. 20 The effects of pregnancy and delivery complications and smoking exposure in utero may be understood through fetal hypoxia.…”

Anger, Hostility, and Aggression as Predictors of Persistent Smoking During Pregnancy

“…Smoking during pregnancy is harmful for mother and child, with increased risk of prenatal complications such as risk of abruption, placenta previa, perinatal mortality, impaired fetal growth, higher neonatal stress and irritability, hearing loss, and respiratory problems (Andres and Day, 2000;Cornelius and Day, 2000;Cornelius et al, 2004;Fried, 1998;Mccartney et al, 1994;Stroud et al, 2009). Cigarette exposure also has long-lasting effects on developmental outcomes such as externalizing behavior problems (Buschgens et al, 2009;Porath and Fried, 2005;Silberg et al, 2003;Wakschlag et al, 2011) and carries with it a higher risk of smoking in later childhood and adolescence (Cornelius et al, 2004;O'Callaghan et al, 2006).…”