Premature babies show long-term effects

Babies who are born before their due dates can suffer long-term damage, researchers at Yale, Stanford and Brown University medical schools have found.

Brain scans of eight-year-olds who were born around 28 weeks show significantly smaller brains than children who are carried full-term. One researcher called the smaller brain size “a striking and significant development abnormality.”

The damage was evident in parts of the brain responsible for reading, language, emotion and behaviour. Boys are more affected than girls.

A recent study in the Baffin region found pre-term birth rates that were three times the national average.

The scientist behind that study cited STDs, cigarette smoking and high blood pressure as well as stress, anxiety and depression as recognized factors in pre-term births.