Developmental differences in late preterm babies may not emerge until after age 2

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/uomh-ddi072516.php

Public Release: 25-Jul-2016
Developmental differences in late preterm babies may not emerge until after age 2
Babies born between 34 and 36 weeks start on track with peers -- but they may start falling behind by preschool and kindergarten
University of Michigan Health System

Developmental differences in babies born 4 to 6 weeks early may not show up until after they turn two, a new study suggests.

Researchers from C.S. Mott Children's Hospital at the University of Michigan tracked children from infancy through kindergarten and compared developmental outcomes between late preterm infants (born between 34 and 36 weeks); those born early term (37 to 38 weeks) and term (39 to 41 weeks).

At age two, late preterm babies were developmentally on track with peers, performing equally well on tasks such as recognizing faces and objects, understanding directions and naming items. By preschool and kindergarten, however, this group showed less than optimal math and reading scores compared to children born at full term, according to the findings published in Pediatrics.

"We found small but meaningful differences in developmental outcomes between late preterm infants and full term groups, which if applied to larger populations, may have potentially significant long term public health implications," says lead author Prachi Shah, M.D., a developmental and behavioral pediatrician at U-M's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

"We found that developmental differences began emerging between 24 months and preschool, which suggests that late preterm infants may benefit from closer developmental monitoring and interventions before starting school."

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