SerpApi.Org
Premature babies are far more likely to struggle with money and relationship problems as adults than full-term infants, a three-decade-long study has shown.
More than 200 babies who were born before 32 weeks – or weighing less than 3lb 5oz – were monitored to the age of 34 to find out whether their difficult start was still causing problems in adulthood.
Nearly one in five were found to be struggling with money, friendships and romantic partnerships, compared with 1.5 per cent of full-term babies.
And 56 per cent were doing well across all areas of their life, compared with nearly 75 per cent of full-term infants. About 25 per cent of both groups were doing moderately well, but had romantic struggles and lower economic success.
Prof Dieter Wolke, of the department of psychology at the University of Warwick, said: “For decades, the question we’ve been asked most is whether children born very preterm are destined to struggle for life.
“Most people born very preterm are getting on well in their 30s, building careers, relationships and friendships, much like everyone else. But there is a substantial minority who continue to face real difficulties, and they tell us their lives feel hard and not very satisfying.
“Eighteen per cent have significant difficulties in having jobs, financial security and finding friends or having a romantic partner, which strongly reduces their life satisfaction.”
Premature babies are known to face higher lifelong risks of chronic illnesses and developmental problems. They are more likely to develop asthma, high blood pressure and heart failure, metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, and mental health disorders like anxiety or depression.
But it was unknown whether they were still managing to flourish in adulthood.
To find out, researchers carried out detailed interviews, questioning participants on everything from job status and wealth to relationships with parents, partners and friends.
Lower ‘life satisfaction’
Dr Elif Gönen, of the department of psychology at the University of Warwick, said: “Those adults in the low-functioning group rated their life satisfaction very much lower than the other groups.”
To understand what was driving the effect, researchers examined a range of childhood influences, including preterm birth itself, sex, parenting quality, relationships with friends in primary school, family income and background, family environment and the parents’ own relationship.
They found that childhood IQ at the age of eight was the best predictor of how well a child would do in adulthood.
Full-term children scored an average of 15 points higher on IQ tests than preterm infants, which equated to a 79 per cent reduction in the chance of failing to find work or have a healthy relationship.
Neonatal complications during preterm birth, such as oxygen deprivation and bleeding in the brain, can lower IQ, but researchers hope that some of the damage could be repaired by interventions in childhood to raise children’s cognitive ability.
“What’s striking is that the strongest thread running through all of this is childhood cognitive ability, and that isn’t set in stone,” Prof Wolke said.
“It responds to the environment a child grows up in. Supporting children’s thinking and learning skills early on, through positive parenting and good schooling, could make a real difference to how their lives unfold decades later.
“They are often the quiet and forgotten children, not troublesome, but find it harder to concentrate and persist, and need the right support.”
The research was published in the journal Jama Paediatrics.
