Moderately Preterm Birth Tied to Long-Term Cognitive Problems
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, April 25, 2025 -- Moderately preterm birth is associated with cognitive problems at ages 9 to 10 years, according to a study published online April 14 in JAMA Network Open.
Samson Nivins, Ph.D., from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues investigated the long-term cognitive outcomes of children born at various gestational ages: very preterm (28 to 31 weeks), moderately preterm (32 to 33 weeks), late preterm (34 to 36 weeks), and early term (37 to 38 weeks) versus full term (≥39 weeks) when accounting for genetics and other risk factors. The analysis included 5,946 children (ages 9 to 10 years).
The researchers found that compared with full-term children, those born moderately preterm had significantly lower composite cognitive scores (β = −0.39) and significantly lower scores in vocabulary (β = −0.36), working memory (β = −0.27), episodic memory (β = −0.32), and both short-delay recall (β = −0.36) and long-delay recall (β = −0.29). These associations were independent of socioeconomic status, polygenic scores for cognitive performance, and other risk factors. The lowest cognitive scores were seen among children born at ≤32 weeks, while late-preterm and early-term children performed similarly to full-term peers.
"These findings underscore the need for continued follow-up of all preterm children, with particular focus on those born before 34 weeks’ gestational age, because they may face greater developmental challenges over time," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted April 2025
Read this next
Type of Hormone Therapy Used After Menopause Affects Memory Performance
FRIDAY, Aug. 29, 2025 -- Earlier age at menopause is associated with lower scores on all cognitive domains, and menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) differentially affects cognition...
Mediterranean Diet Beneficial in Those With High Alzheimer Disease Risk
THURSDAY, Aug. 28, 2025 -- Individuals at high genetic risk for Alzheimer disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRDs) derive benefit from a Mediterranean diet, according to a...
Helping Others Linked to Higher Level of Cognitive Function
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 -- Helping others, both via formal volunteering and informal helping, is associated with higher levels of cognitive function and slower cognitive decline...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.