Earlier-Term Babies, Slight Learning Delay?

Earlier-term infants may have an increased risk for learning delays, a subsidiary psychoanalysis shows.

When researchers compared gestational age at birth to academic test scores in third grade, they found that children delivered at 37 and 38 weeks' gestation had lower scores than children delivered in their 39th, 40th, or 41st gestational week.

The differences were little. But the findings assign an opinion that even along between babies considered full-term -- defined as delivery at 37-41 weeks -- gestational age at delivery may shape increase years before-thinking.

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C-Section Timing Implications?

The investigation could after that have important implications for the timing of C-sections performed for non-medical reasons, the researchers make known.


One in three babies born in the U.S. is now delivered by cesarean section -- a on severity of 50% adding together by now 1996.

Researcher Howard F. Andrews, PhD, of Columbia University, says pregnant women and their doctors should deem the possibility of learning delays furthermore deciding nearly the timing of elective C-sections.

"This examine is every single one not the last word, but it does counsel a potential risk for developmental delays in the middle of term infants born at 37 or 38 weeks," Andrews tells WebMD. "Even if the risk is small, why would you sore spot to implement to it for a C-section that isn't medically severe?"

Test Scores Lower in Earlier-Term Babies

The investigation, published online today in the journal Pediatrics, included data a propos more than 128,000 children born in New York City surrounded by 1988 and 1992.

All the children were delivered plus 37 and 41 weeks' gestation, and every one of one attended New York City public schools in third grade.

The researchers matched birth records as soon as the kids's scores on the order of the order of standardized third-grade reading and math tests.

Compared to children born at 41 weeks gestation:

Children born at 37 weeks had a 23% increased risk of having at least a abstemious reading impairment in third grade.
Birth at 38 weeks' gestation was connected furthermore a 13% enhancement in risk for at least sober reading difficulties.
A related pattern was seen for math scores, but tiny difference in scores was recorded in babies born in their 39th, 40th, or 41st gestational week.

The impact was independent of auxiliary risk factors for learning delays, including low birth weight and relatives economic status.

Pediatrician Roya Samuels, MD, of the Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y., says the findings, if avowed, could alter the thinking roughly what full term in reality means.

"Thirty-seven weeks has been our marker for when a baby is full term, and most of the research going concerning for developmental delays has been on the subject of babies born earlier than this," she tells WebMD. "This suggests that it may be worth taking a closer see at babies born in that 37- and 38-week window."

She adds that while subsidiary research will be needed to acknowledge the findings, the scientific evidence well-disposed of delaying non-medically necessary C-sections is mounting.


"Every week in utero is option week of gathering and involve on," she says. "It is enormously prudent to wait as long as you can if you are considering an elective C-section for non-medical reasons."

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