Children who cry a lot during infancy, have trouble sleeping and refuse to eat, are more likely to develop behavioral and cognitive problems, according to the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
The above-mentioned problems concern nearly 20 percent. toddlers in the first year of life. As the research of an international team of scientists has proven, these children are much more likely to be later diagnosed with behavioral problems, especially ADHD and externalizing (poorly controlled) behavior.
Researchers from the University of Warwick in the UK, Germany’s Ruhr University in Bochum and Basel University in Switzerland analyzed 22 studies covering the period 1987-2006, involving a total of 16,848 children.
Behavioral problems have been classified into four categories: internalizing problems (anxiety, depression, withdrawal), externalizing problems (aggressive, destructive, hysterical behavior), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and general behavior problems.
The researchers note that the more regulatory disorders were diagnosed in infants, the more likely they were to develop problems in the future. In addition, family factors, including psychosocial and communication problems, played an important role.
Regulatory disturbances in infancy, combined with risk factors related to the immediate environment, require early intervention to minimize or prevent long-term consequences, the authors conclude.