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Small Babies Face Learning Hurdles Later
18 Oct
Summary
- Babies smaller than expected at full term show poorer school performance.
- Link between birth size and academic scores persists into mid-teens.
- Parenting and school support can alter long-term effects of being small.
New research indicates that babies born smaller than expected at full-term pregnancy may face challenges in academic performance during their teenage years. The study followed over 92,000 children in Norway, all born between 37 and 41 weeks gestation.
Researchers observed that these children, even when born at term, tended to achieve lower scores in subjects like mathematics and reading. These differences were still evident in adolescence, suggesting a lasting impact of birth size on learning capabilities.
Professor Dieter Wolke from the University of Warwick suggested that being small for gestational age at term could signify adverse brain effects impacting learning. He also emphasized that parenting and school support might mitigate these long-term consequences.
Additionally, the study examined infants born slightly earlier, between 37 and 38 weeks. While these children showed minor language and movement skill differences in early childhood, these distinctions largely disappeared by the time they started school.
The findings, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, underscore the importance of monitoring a baby's growth and ensuring children receive appropriate developmental support.
