Greater Risk of Disabilities and Developmental Delays in Late-Preterm Babies

A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics has found that babies that are born just three to six weeks before their due dates are more likely to experience problems once they reach kindergarten than full-term babies. For the study, researchers followed the development of babies born in Florida between January of 1996 and August of 1997. Researchers compared more than 7,000 late-preterm babies with more than 152,500 full-term babies and found that the children that were born after 34 weeks but before 37 weeks (late-preterm) were 36 percent more likely to develop a disability or developmental delay than those born after 37 weeks (full-term). They also found that these late-preterm babies were about 19 percent more likely to be suspended and had a higher risk of being left back in kindergarten. These children also had an increased risk of 10 to 13 percent for other developmental problems.

While about 3 percent of the full-term babies involved in the study experienced a delay or disability, just over 4 percent of the late-preterm babies experienced one of these problems, so doctors noted that there is no reason for parents to worry. In the past, it was believed that even though babies born after 34 or 35 weeks were not full-term, they were not at risk of problems associated with preterm birth. However, with the findings of this new study, it is clear that there are additional developmental risks even for babies born just three to six weeks before their due date. Over the past few decades, the rate of preterm births have been on the rise in the U.S., increasing from 9.4 percent in 1981 to 12.3 percent in 2003. Preterm births have an additional risk of complications, so early deliveries should only be performed in emergency situations. If your child has suffered a birth injury that may have been preventable, call or e-mail us today for a free case evaluation. Our experienced birth injury attorneys handle Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Queens birth injury, Nassau birth injury and Suffolk birth injury cases.

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