Preemies Face Tougher Life

Ivanhoe Newswire

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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Babies born prematurely are likely to develop disabilities and face learning difficulties, a recent study suggests.

The study, which looked at the progress of 903,402 infants registered in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway, revealed the earlier a baby was born, the higher the risks of medical and social disabilities in adulthood. Researchers also found the five-year survival rate increased from 20 percent for children born in the earliest gestational age bracket to 99 percent for those born at term.

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The medical disabilities premature babies faced later life included cerebral palsy, mental retardation, blindness, hearing loss and epilepsy. A lower gestational age at birth was associated with a reduced likelihood of completing high school, receiving a bachelor's degree, receiving a postgraduate degree, having a high income, finding a life partner and having children.

The study authors say more research of this nature needs to be done.

"Studies have shown increased prevalences of attention deficits, withdrawal, anxiety, and reduced academic and social skills among schoolchildren with low birth weight as compared with children with normal birth weight," study authors wrote. "More recent survivors of preterm birth may therefore have difficulties similar to those of the present cohort when they become adults, although further follow-up of more recent cohorts is needed to address this question."

SOURCE: New England Journal of Medicine, 2008;359:262-273

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