Premium
Neonatal jaundice and increased risk of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder: a population‐based cohort study
Author(s) -
Wei ChangChing,
Chang ChunHung,
Lin ChengLi,
Chang ShihNi,
Li TsaiChung,
Kao ChiaHung
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/jcpp.12303
Subject(s) - jaundice , hazard ratio , pediatrics , medicine , cohort , incidence (geometry) , cohort study , population , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , confidence interval , psychiatry , physics , environmental health , optics
Background Previous studies have posited conflicting results regarding the relationship between neonatal jaundice and the subsequent risk of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ). We therefore performed a large population study with a defined neonatal jaundice cohort to investigate the incidence and risk of physician‐diagnosed ADHD in Taiwan. Methods From 2000 to 2004, 24,950 neonatal jaundice cases and 69,964 matched nonjaundice controls were identified. At the end of 2008, the incidence rate and hazard ratios ( HR s) of physician‐diagnosed ADHD were calculated. Results The incidence of ADHD was 2.48‐fold greater in the jaundice cohort than in the nonjaundice cohort (3.84 vs. 1.51 per 100,000 person‐years) in the study period. The HR of ADHD was substantially greater for male, preterm, and low‐birth‐weight infants with neonatal jaundice. The risk of developing ADHD in the jaundice cohort was greater after a diagnosis of neonatal jaundice for more than 6 years ( HR : 2.64; 95% confidence interval: 2.13–3.28). The risk of ADHD increased for neonates with higher serum bilirubin levels requiring phototherapy and with longer admission days. Conclusion Neonates with jaundice are at high risk for developing physician‐diagnosed ADHD during their growth period. A risk alert regarding neurologic consequences is urgently required after a neonatal jaundice diagnosis. Additional studies should be conducted to clarify the pathogenesis of these relationships.