Complications during birth and later social anxiety in children
- Date:
- March 20, 2019
- Source:
- Wiley
- Summary:
- A new study indicates that complications during birth may increase the risk that children will develop social anxiety by their pre-teen years.
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A new study published in Infant and Child Development indicates that complications during birth may increase the risk that children will develop social anxiety by their pre-teen years.
For the study, 149 children aged nine to 12 years were screened for behavioral inhibition -- a tendency to exhibit a fearful disposition and withdrawal in unfamiliar contexts and situations -- and assessed for social anxiety symptoms using parent- and child-reports. Investigators found that perinatal complications were associated with higher levels of behavioral inhibition and social anxiety symptoms.
Additionally, analyses suggested that behavioral inhibition acted as a pathway between birth complications and social anxiety symptoms.
"This study sets the stage for future longitudinal work examining whether childhood temperament is a developmental path by which birth complications lead to social anxiety symptoms," said lead author Dr. Santiago Morales, of the University of Maryland.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Wiley. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Gabriela L. Suarez, Santiago Morales, Kelly Metcalf, Koraly E. Pérez‐Edgar. Perinatal complications are associated with social anxiety: Indirect effects through temperament. Infant and Child Development, 2019; e2130 DOI: 10.1002/icd.2130
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