Rates of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Gestational Age at Birth in a Danish Population

Key Points Question Are there associations between gestational age, analyzed in 6 subgroups covering the full range of gestational duration, and the rate of neuropsychiatric diagnoses? Findings In this Danish, nationwide, registry-based cohort study, shortened gestational duration was associated with the rate of both child-onset and adult-onset neuropsychiatric diseases. Beyond the traditional threshold of fetal maturity (≥37 weeks), the early term group (37-38 weeks) had a slightly elevated rate of multiple neuropsychiatric disorders compared with the full-term group, whereas the late-term and postterm groups had the lowest rates for most disorders except pervasive developmental disorders. Meaning These findings suggest that neuropsychiatric disorders might be associated with factors related to early development and that interventions focusing on perinatal risk factors and obstetric practices might lower the risk for neuropsychiatric disorders in the population.