ABC News (10/16, Kindelan ) reports, “Being the eldest sibling or being an only child may be linked to anxiety and depression in kids as young as age 8, according to a new study.” Researchers at Epic, a company “that manages a majority of electronic health records across the United States, studied more than 182,000 children in the U.S. who had a well-child visit at age 8, the age at which children should start being screened for anxiety by their pediatrician, according to guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.” Among the kids studied, children “born first among their siblings were 48% more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and 35% more likely to be diagnosed with depression compared with children born second or later.”
Related Links:
— “Firstborn and only children more likely to face anxiety, depression, study finds,” Katie Kindelan, ABC News, October 16, 2024