Cerebral Palsy More Likely In Late Preterm Babies

Babies born at 34 to 36 weeks’ gestation are three times more likely to be diagnosed with cerebral palsy [cerebral palsy treatment] than those born full term at 37 weeks or later, researchers report.

In addition, these “late preterm” babies, born just a few weeks early, are “modestly” but significantly more likely to be diagnosed with developmental delays or mental retardation, according to the study of 141,321 children born at 30 weeks’ gestation or later.

“We’re surprised to see the late preterm babies had a higher risk of cerebral palsy,” says lead author Joan Petrini, director of the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center in White Plains, N.Y. They also had a 25% higher risk of developmental delay or mental retardation than full-term babies.

Most of the children in the study had not yet entered school, when learning disabilities are more likely to be seen, the authors note, so their results may underestimate the proportion of late preterm children with brain development problems[children with learning disabilities].

Because babies born at 34 to 36 weeks are sometimes bigger than full-term infants, they appear to be healthy, says co-author Gabriel Escobar, a senior research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland. And that’s part of the problem, he says.

“There’s a temptation to treat them as if they’re term babies,” Escobar says. “Being a bigger baby doesn’t necessarily protect you at all. It’s really how mature you are.”

Read more at USA Today