Kids born at 32-26 weeks may struggle more at primary school

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-11-19 09:15

Australia; VIC

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Kids born between 32 and 36 weeks may have poorer scores in cognitive and academic performance and more behavioural difficulties at age 9 than their peers, according to Australian research. The study looked at 159 babies born between 32 and 36 weeks and compared their development to kids born after 37 weeks. They found that at age 9, the preterm children had slightly lower IQ scores and poorer academic performance. They also had more behavioural difficulties. The authors say an assessment at age 2 years may help identify the kids who are at risk of school-age impairments.