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Shared unmeasured characteristics among siblings confound the association of Apgar score with stress resilience in adolescence
Author(s) -
Bergh Cecilia,
Hiyoshi Ayako,
Eriksson Mats,
Fall Katja,
Montgomery Scott
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.14881
Subject(s) - medicine , confounding , apgar score , confidence interval , demography , psychological resilience , association (psychology) , cohort , pediatrics , birth weight , pregnancy , psychology , sociology , biology , psychotherapist , genetics
Aim We investigated the association between low Apgar score, other perinatal characteristics and low stress resilience in adolescence. A within‐siblings analysis was used to tackle unmeasured shared familial confounding. Methods We used a national cohort of 527 763 males born in Sweden between 1973 and 1992 who undertook military conscription assessments at mean age of 18 years (17–20). Conscription examinations included a measure of stress resilience. Information on Apgar score and other perinatal characteristics was obtained through linkage with the Medical Birth Register. Analyses were conducted using ordinary least squares and fixed‐effects linear regression models adjusted for potential confounding factors. Results Infants with a prolonged low Apgar score at five minutes had an increased risk of low stress resilience in adolescence compared with those with highest scores at one minute, with an adjusted coefficient and 95% confidence interval of −0.26 (−0.39, −0.13). The associations were no longer statistically significant when using within‐siblings models. However, the associations with stress resilience and birthweight remained statistically significant in all analyses. Conclusion The association with low Apgar score seems to be explained by confounding due to shared childhood circumstances among siblings from the same family, while low birthweight is independently associated with low stress resilience.