Children Born Before 34 Weeks May Experience Long-Lasting Cognitive Challenges

Research conducted by Karolinska Institutet has revealed that children born prematurely before reaching 34 weeks of gestation tend to display persistent deficits in various cognitive abilities even at ages 9 to 10. These cognitive delays include lower performance in vocabulary, working memory, episodic memory, and recall tasks. Interestingly, these impairments appear to be independent of socioeconomic factors, genetic predispositions, or prenatal and individual risk factors. In contrast, children born slightly later, between 34 and 36 weeks (late preterm) or at early term (37–38 weeks), generally perform comparably to their full-term peers.

Preterm birth affects approximately 13 million infants globally each year and remains a significant challenge due to its association with childhood health and developmental issues. The critical stages of brain development occur between 24 and 40 weeks of gestation, and early birth can disrupt these processes, leading to long-term cognitive consequences.

Most previous research focused on extremely preterm infants, often overlooking those born moderately or late preterm, who make up a significant portion of preterm births. While cognitive development in preterm children is often delayed compared to their full-term counterparts, many studies primarily rely on overall IQ scores, which can mask specific deficits.

This recent longitudinal, multicenter study, titled "Gestational Age and Cognitive Development in Childhood," involved 5,946 children aged 9 to 10 from the United States. The children underwent comprehensive assessments, including tests of vocabulary, working memory, episodic memory, and recall. Researchers also calculated polygenic scores for cognitive performance, considering maternal, child, and socioeconomic factors.

Results indicated that children born between 32 and 33 weeks of gestation had measurable deficits in cognitive scores, similar in magnitude to missing several months of typical learning progress. Those born before 32 weeks exhibited similar challenges, whereas children born at 34 weeks or later showed no significant differences from full-term children.

The findings suggest that cognitive impairments linked to preterm birth persist into late childhood and are not solely explained by socioeconomic or genetic factors. Due to these lasting effects, children born before 34 weeks may benefit from ongoing developmental monitoring and targeted interventions, aiming to improve their academic and everyday functioning. Early screening could be vital in identifying children at risk and providing necessary support to enhance their cognitive outcomes as they grow.

For more detailed insights, refer to the study by Samson Nivins et al., published in JAMA Network Open.