The Washington Post
Babies born prematurely continue to have neurological and developmental problems well into early adulthood, according to the first comprehensive study that tracked hundreds of survivors over two decades, researchers said Wednesday.
The group also had lower IQs, more learning disabilities and higher rates of such disorders as cerebral palsy — a sobering reminder that while ever-larger numbers of premature babies now survive, many will confront lifelong problems.
But researchers also found tremendous reserves of resilience and adaptation in the children and their families. While acknowledging more health problems, many reported that their health and quality of life was better than those of peers who had full-term births.
By followings its subjects into early adulthood, the study extends what researchers have learned about the effects of premature birth. And in a wholly unexpected finding, researchers noted that the premature group was less likely to indulge in risky behaviors such as drug taking and early sex, and less likely to get into scrapes with the law.
"Poorer-functioning children are more susceptible to peer pressure," said Maureen Hack, a professor of pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, explaining why scientists had expected more risk-taking behavior, not less. Although the scientists aren’t sure what explains the better behavior, watchful parenting appears to be the most plausible explanation.
"We think there might have been more parental monitoring," said Hack, the lead scientist on the project. "These are very special children to the parents — they were … expected to die. Some of the parents didn’t expect to have another child. If you have a small preemie, you may watch over them more."
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