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Small Babies, Big School Struggles?
18 Oct
Summary
- Babies smaller than expected at birth show poorer academic performance.
- Link between birth size and academic performance persists into teens.
- Parenting and school support may alter long-term effects of being small.
A significant study tracking over 92,000 children in Norway has uncovered a correlation between smaller birth size and academic achievement.
Full-term babies who were smaller than expected for their gestational stage tended to score lower in subjects such as mathematics and reading throughout adolescence. This suggests that early growth disparities can have lasting impacts on learning capabilities.
Researchers noted that while not all babies born small face educational hurdles, the study underscores the critical need for close monitoring of infant growth. Providing consistent home stimulation and robust school support can positively influence these developmental trajectories.
Previous research also indicated that infants born slightly preterm (37-38 weeks) had minor language and movement differences in early childhood that largely resolved by school age. This new study offers reassurance that being born a few weeks early has no adverse long-term academic effects if the baby is otherwise of normal or larger size for their stage of pregnancy.
