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Behavior problems common among cognitively delayed children

Children with cognitive delay are more likely to have behavior problems compared with typically developing children, according to recent study findings published in Pediatrics.

Erika Rose Cheng, PhD, MPA, of Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, and colleagues evaluated a birth cohort of 8,000 children with typical development or cognitive delay (CD) between 9 and 24 months. CD was classified as typical development and ever, resolved, newly developed, and persistent CD.

Overall, 13.7% of participants met criteria for CD at age 9 and/or 24 months. Eighty percent of participants with CD at age 9 months were resolved by age 24 months. Of participants with normal cognitive scores at age 9 months, 85% had CD at age 24 months.

Developmental delay and/or mental retardation was present in 3.7% of typically developing participants compared with 31.1% of participants with persistent CD. Typically developing participants were less likely to use early intervention services (2.9%) vs. 24.2% with persistent CD.

Behavior problems were also more common among participants with CD at all ages compared with typically developing children. Overall, participants with persistent CD were most likely to have behavior problems at age 24 months (35.5%), followed by participants with newly developed CD (21.8%) and resolved CD (19.3%).

“To date, the association between early CD and the development of behavior problems has not been adequately investigated in the United States,” the researchers wrote. “Although there have been cross-sectional and short-term follow-up studies, we believe ours is the first to examine this relationship across multiple years by using a national cohort of US children. Our findings establish, on a population-level, that disparities in behavior problems among children with CD originate at the earliest stages of life. We also found that the timing and persistence of CD influences children’s psychosocial development. These findings support early identification, evaluation, and [early intervention] service referral for children with CD.”

Disclosure: See the full study for a complete list of the researchers’ financial disclosures.