EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL-ADJUSTMENT IN CHILDREN BORN PREMATURELY

Assessed the emotional and behavioral adjustment of 13- to 14-year-old children born prematurely, as compared with children born full term, using children's self-report questionnaires of anxiety, depression, aggression, and self-concept, as well as mothers' and teachers' reports of behavioral disturbances. On all measures, premature children had lower scores on adjustment. Birth weight and psychosocial-environmental variables assessed when the children were 6 or 7 years old were significant in predicting later emotional adjustment. Differential effects of the environment on premature versus full-term children were suggested.