Preterm Birth Linked with Disabilities

Recent reports show that preterm births can have an influential impact on the overall development of a child as the years go on.

Physical, mental and social impairments are likely to affect the lives of those born prematurely long into adulthood.

National Study Reveals Findings

This research comes in the aftermath of a national study in Norway that was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers found that the earlier babies are born, the larger their risk for developing life altering disabilities like cerebral palsy.

“On the other hand, we were reassured by our findings that the majority of preterm children without medical disabilities actually seemed to function very well into adulthood,” says lead author of the study, Dr. Dag Moster.

Increased Risk of Cerebral Palsy

The study conducted reportedly analyzed the health of 870,000 babies of at least 23 weeks’ gestational age.

Of the babies who were within the preterm category, the overall risk of cerebral palsy increased with time.

According to the study, six percent of the infants born within 28 and 30 weeks and nine percent born within 23 and 27 weeks had cerebral palsy.

Significant trends for mental retardation, emotional and behavior problems and vision and hearing impairment were also apparent.

(Source: Reuters)

Was your child born with cerebral palsy? Please contact a cerebral palsy attorney who will enable you and your loved ones to receive the legal support you need.