People who survive being born extremely underweight tend to grow up as "socially withdrawn" adults, researchers warn today.
This means they are easily worried, little interested in taking risks and not particularly socially engaged, according to a report in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
The researchers say the stresses of being placed in neonatal intensive care may be a key factor in the personality problems faced by these people. They may also suffer from over-protective parents.
The findings come from a study, conducted in Bavaria, Germany, of some 200 people aged 26 who were born very prematurely or severely underweight.
These were compared with another 197 young adults born at healthy weight and on time.
The research found high rates of autistic behaviour together with introversion and neuroticism amongst those born prematurely.
Researcher Professor Dieter Wolke, a psychologist at the University of Warwick, Coventry, UK, said: "The physiological circumstances of these babies’ birth might help explain the higher rates of career and relationship difficulties in adulthood.
"The evidence shows that many adults born very premature/low birthweight are less likely to go on to higher education or get well paid jobs; and they find it harder to make friends, find long term partners, and become a parent."
Personality of adults who were born very preterm. Archives of Disease in Childhood 28 July 2015; doi 10.1136/archdischild-2014-308007 [abstract]
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