The role of birth weight on the causal pathway to child and adolescent ADHD symptomatology: a population-based twin differences longitudinal design

Kai Xiang Lim; Chao Yu Liu; Tabea Schoeler; Charlotte A.M. Cecil; Edward D. Barker; Essi Viding; Corina U. Greven; Jean Baptiste Pingault

doi:10.1111/jcpp.12949

The role of birth weight on the causal pathway to child and adolescent ADHD symptomatology: a population-based twin differences longitudinal design

Kai Xiang Lim, Chao Yu Liu, Tabea Schoeler, Charlotte A.M. Cecil, Edward D. Barker, Essi Viding, Corina U. Greven, Jean Baptiste Pingault^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Background

Available evidence points towards lower birth weight as a risk factor for the development of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. We probed the causal nature of this putative effect of birth weight on ADHD symptoms using the twin differences design, which accounts for genetic and shared environmental confounds.

Method

In a large population‐based twin sample – 3,499 monozygotic (MZ) and 6,698 dizygotic (DZ) pairs – parents, teachers or twins rated the twins’ ADHD symptoms at nine assessment waves (2–16 years). We implemented the twin differences design, which completely accounts for shared environmental and genetic confounding in MZ twins. We tested whether: (a) the lighter‐born twins had elevated ADHD symptoms compared to the heavier‐born twins, by regressing within‐pair differences of ADHD symptoms on within‐pair differences of birth weight among MZ twins; (b) the effect of birth weight on ADHD was moderated by gender, gestational age and low birth weight; (c) this effect changed with age at ADHD assessment using adapted latent growth curve models; and (d) results differed for inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity.

Results

Birth weight significantly predicted ADHD symptoms from early childhood to late adolescence. The lighter‐born twin had more ADHD symptoms than the heavier‐born cotwin among MZ twins across assessment waves and raters. No moderation effect was detected. The magnitude of the effect of birth weight decreased significantly across time for hyperactivity/impulsivity, but the decrease failed to reach significance for inattention. Estimates for inattention were significantly larger than for hyperactivity/impulsivity at each time point, implying stronger effect of birth weight on inattention symptoms.

Conclusions

Our findings provide stringent evidence for environmental effect of lower birth weight on the causal pathway to elevated ADHD symptoms. Effect of birth weight persists across a 14‐year period from childhood into late adolescence, in particular for inattention symptoms.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1036-1043
Journal	Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines
Early online date	12 Jul 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12949
Publication status	Published - Oct 2018

Keywords

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Birth weight
Hyperactivity/impulsivity
Inattention
Twin differences

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1111/jcpp.12949Licence: CC BY

The role of birth_LIM_Accepted8June2018_GOLD VoR (CC BY)Final published version, 158 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Lim, K. X., Liu, C. Y., Schoeler, T., Cecil, C. A. M., Barker, E. D., Viding, E., Greven, C. U., & Pingault, J. B. (2018). The role of birth weight on the causal pathway to child and adolescent ADHD symptomatology: a population-based twin differences longitudinal design. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 1036-1043. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12949

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title = "The role of birth weight on the causal pathway to child and adolescent ADHD symptomatology: a population-based twin differences longitudinal design",

abstract = "BackgroundAvailable evidence points towards lower birth weight as a risk factor for the development of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. We probed the causal nature of this putative effect of birth weight on ADHD symptoms using the twin differences design, which accounts for genetic and shared environmental confounds.MethodIn a large population‐based twin sample – 3,499 monozygotic (MZ) and 6,698 dizygotic (DZ) pairs – parents, teachers or twins rated the twins{\textquoteright} ADHD symptoms at nine assessment waves (2–16 years). We implemented the twin differences design, which completely accounts for shared environmental and genetic confounding in MZ twins. We tested whether: (a) the lighter‐born twins had elevated ADHD symptoms compared to the heavier‐born twins, by regressing within‐pair differences of ADHD symptoms on within‐pair differences of birth weight among MZ twins; (b) the effect of birth weight on ADHD was moderated by gender, gestational age and low birth weight; (c) this effect changed with age at ADHD assessment using adapted latent growth curve models; and (d) results differed for inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity.ResultsBirth weight significantly predicted ADHD symptoms from early childhood to late adolescence. The lighter‐born twin had more ADHD symptoms than the heavier‐born cotwin among MZ twins across assessment waves and raters. No moderation effect was detected. The magnitude of the effect of birth weight decreased significantly across time for hyperactivity/impulsivity, but the decrease failed to reach significance for inattention. Estimates for inattention were significantly larger than for hyperactivity/impulsivity at each time point, implying stronger effect of birth weight on inattention symptoms.ConclusionsOur findings provide stringent evidence for environmental effect of lower birth weight on the causal pathway to elevated ADHD symptoms. Effect of birth weight persists across a 14‐year period from childhood into late adolescence, in particular for inattention symptoms.",

keywords = "Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Birth weight, Hyperactivity/impulsivity, Inattention, Twin differences",

author = "Lim, {Kai Xiang} and Liu, {Chao Yu} and Tabea Schoeler and Cecil, {Charlotte A.M.} and Barker, {Edward D.} and Essi Viding and Greven, {Corina U.} and Pingault, {Jean Baptiste}",

year = "2018",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1111/jcpp.12949",

language = "English",

pages = "1036--1043",

journal = "Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines",

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T1 - The role of birth weight on the causal pathway to child and adolescent ADHD symptomatology

T2 - a population-based twin differences longitudinal design

AU - Lim, Kai Xiang

AU - Liu, Chao Yu

AU - Schoeler, Tabea

AU - Cecil, Charlotte A.M.

AU - Barker, Edward D.

AU - Viding, Essi

AU - Greven, Corina U.

AU - Pingault, Jean Baptiste

PY - 2018/10

Y1 - 2018/10

N2 - BackgroundAvailable evidence points towards lower birth weight as a risk factor for the development of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. We probed the causal nature of this putative effect of birth weight on ADHD symptoms using the twin differences design, which accounts for genetic and shared environmental confounds.MethodIn a large population‐based twin sample – 3,499 monozygotic (MZ) and 6,698 dizygotic (DZ) pairs – parents, teachers or twins rated the twins’ ADHD symptoms at nine assessment waves (2–16 years). We implemented the twin differences design, which completely accounts for shared environmental and genetic confounding in MZ twins. We tested whether: (a) the lighter‐born twins had elevated ADHD symptoms compared to the heavier‐born twins, by regressing within‐pair differences of ADHD symptoms on within‐pair differences of birth weight among MZ twins; (b) the effect of birth weight on ADHD was moderated by gender, gestational age and low birth weight; (c) this effect changed with age at ADHD assessment using adapted latent growth curve models; and (d) results differed for inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity.ResultsBirth weight significantly predicted ADHD symptoms from early childhood to late adolescence. The lighter‐born twin had more ADHD symptoms than the heavier‐born cotwin among MZ twins across assessment waves and raters. No moderation effect was detected. The magnitude of the effect of birth weight decreased significantly across time for hyperactivity/impulsivity, but the decrease failed to reach significance for inattention. Estimates for inattention were significantly larger than for hyperactivity/impulsivity at each time point, implying stronger effect of birth weight on inattention symptoms.ConclusionsOur findings provide stringent evidence for environmental effect of lower birth weight on the causal pathway to elevated ADHD symptoms. Effect of birth weight persists across a 14‐year period from childhood into late adolescence, in particular for inattention symptoms.

AB - BackgroundAvailable evidence points towards lower birth weight as a risk factor for the development of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. We probed the causal nature of this putative effect of birth weight on ADHD symptoms using the twin differences design, which accounts for genetic and shared environmental confounds.MethodIn a large population‐based twin sample – 3,499 monozygotic (MZ) and 6,698 dizygotic (DZ) pairs – parents, teachers or twins rated the twins’ ADHD symptoms at nine assessment waves (2–16 years). We implemented the twin differences design, which completely accounts for shared environmental and genetic confounding in MZ twins. We tested whether: (a) the lighter‐born twins had elevated ADHD symptoms compared to the heavier‐born twins, by regressing within‐pair differences of ADHD symptoms on within‐pair differences of birth weight among MZ twins; (b) the effect of birth weight on ADHD was moderated by gender, gestational age and low birth weight; (c) this effect changed with age at ADHD assessment using adapted latent growth curve models; and (d) results differed for inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity.ResultsBirth weight significantly predicted ADHD symptoms from early childhood to late adolescence. The lighter‐born twin had more ADHD symptoms than the heavier‐born cotwin among MZ twins across assessment waves and raters. No moderation effect was detected. The magnitude of the effect of birth weight decreased significantly across time for hyperactivity/impulsivity, but the decrease failed to reach significance for inattention. Estimates for inattention were significantly larger than for hyperactivity/impulsivity at each time point, implying stronger effect of birth weight on inattention symptoms.ConclusionsOur findings provide stringent evidence for environmental effect of lower birth weight on the causal pathway to elevated ADHD symptoms. Effect of birth weight persists across a 14‐year period from childhood into late adolescence, in particular for inattention symptoms.

KW - Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

KW - Birth weight

KW - Hyperactivity/impulsivity

KW - Inattention

KW - Twin differences

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DO - 10.1111/jcpp.12949

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SN - 0021-9630

SP - 1036

EP - 1043

JO - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines

JF - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines

ER -

The role of birth weight on the causal pathway to child and adolescent ADHD symptomatology: a population-based twin differences longitudinal design

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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