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• Posted November 8, 2024

Being Born Preterm Tied to Lifelong Harms in Employment, Education

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 than those born at term, researchers said.

For individuals born at the earliest gestation, 24 to 27 weeks, those associations were even stronger, with a 17% lower annual income and a 45% decrease in rates of university enrollment and graduation.

“Policymakers and society as a whole must recognize that the socioeconomic impact of preterm birth may extend into early adulthood and that considerations for ongoing support could be vital to ensuring this population has equal opportunity to thrive,” Pechlivanoglou added in a journal news release.

More information

The March of Dimes has more on the long-term health effects of preterm birth.

SOURCE: PLOS, news release, Nov. 6, 2024