Over the last four decades, the advancement in medical science has led to better survival in premature babies but studies suggest that it may come at the cost of disabilities and hurdles in adult life.
Researchers from the University of Bergen, Norway, followed 903,402 children born in Norway between 1967 and 1983 through compulsory national databases until 2003 when they were 20 to 36 years of age.
When the gestational age at birth was compared with medical disabilities and mental abilities in adult life, the study found that children born prematurely were more likely to have cerebral palsy, a higher risk of being mentally retarded, having mental disorders such as epilepsy and disabilities such as impaired vision and hearing.
Those born prematurely were also less likely to find a partner, start their own family and more likely to get divorced, the researchers found, adding that such babies also had on average lower levels of education and worse-paid jobs.
Nearly 13 percent of the more than 4 million babies born in the United States each year arrive prematurely. Premature babies are those who have gestation periods of less than 37 weeks. The fewer gestation weeks at birth, the greater the risk for disabilities and illness, the study found.
