In both girls and boys, family adversity pre-birth and during the first year of life had significant effects on hyperactivity, not only at age 4 but also at age 7 years. In terms of individual family adversity items it was found that in both sexes, pre-birth social deprivation and maternal psychopathology in the first year of life were the strongest predictors of hyperactivity at both time points. Additionally in girls, maternal psychopathology during pregnancy also had an effect. With regard to stressful life events, stressors experienced between the ages of 6 months to 2.5 years were the strongest predictors of hyperactivity in boys whereas in girls the influence of stressful life events at 2.5 to 3.5 years was maximal.
