Babies born preterm are behind the eight-ball as adults They are less likely as adults to go to college or have a good-paying job The earlier preterm a baby is born, the more pronounced the effects on their future FRIDAY, Nov. 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Babies born preterm face a life of lowered prospects, a new study warns. Adults who were preemies are less likely to achieve higher education or snag a high-paying job, researchers reported Nov.
6 in the journal PLOS One . What’s more, the earlier preterm a baby is born, the worse his or her future prospects appear to be. “Our findings suggest that the development of long-term supports [including psychological, education and vocational resources] that go beyond clinical care may help mitigate the longer-term effects of preterm birth,” said researcher Petros Pechlivanoglou , with The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Preterm birth is known to increase a baby’s risk of intellectual and developmental difficulties, according to the March of Dimes. About 10% of all babies worldwide are born preterm. For the study, researchers analyzed health, education and employment data on all live births that occurred in Canada between 1990 and 1996, a pool of about 2.
4 million people. Results showed that babies born before 37 weeks of gestation are 17% less likely to go to college, 16% less likely to graduate with a college degree and 2% less likely to be employed. The average income of adults who were born preterm is 6% lower tha.