Young adults who were born very prematurely tend to be more anxious and prone to depression than their peers, a new study suggests according to Reuters. UK researchers found that among 18- and 19-year-olds, those who were born very prematurely - before the 33rd week of pregnancy - generally scored higher on a standard measure of "neuroticism." That is, they were by nature more nervous, moody and lacking in self-esteem than their peers who were born full-term. At the same time, the preterm group scored lower on a measure of extraversion, the tendency to be outgoing, assertive and sometimes risk-taking. The findings, say the study authors, suggest that young adults born substantially early may be at higher-than-average risk of developing clinical depression and anxiety disorders. However, they report in the journal Pediatrics, the results are only preliminary, and any conclusions about the risk of mental health disorders "are necessarily speculative." For their study, Dr. Matthew Allin of King's College London and his colleagues assessed 108 young men and women who were born before the 33rd week of pregnancy, along with 67 young adults who were born at term. A full-term pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks. --More 21 48 Local Time 18 48 GMT
