Born earlier than 37 weeks? How it affects the future!

When you're pregnant, sometime it seems like that baby is never going to come out! Your friends, family and even doctor will tell you that when the time is right it will happen as it should. However, there are instances when you may go into labor prematurely and not have a choice in the matter. And then you hear of moms scheduling their c-section 'out of convenience' either for them or for the doctor.

Has anyone looked at what happens long-term when a baby is born pre-maturely? Were you or your partner born pre-maturely?

In the March 26th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (this is a big-deal place to get published!) researchers looks at 1,167,506 singleton births (not multiples like twins) to establish what happens long-term with their health and future reproduction. Of those millions kids, 5.2% were born early (before 37 weeks).

What they found was astonishing! Mortality rate (number of deaths in a given population) was highest for a shorter gestation which in this study was anything between 22 - 36 weeks. Infant mortality rates (age < 1 year) were increased in all age categories of preterm girls and boys vs term children. Girls born at 28 to 32 weeks' gestation vs term had higher mortality rates through age younger than 1 year while boys born at 28 to 32 weeks' gestation vs term had higher mortality rates through age 12.9 years!! That's almost 13 years old for boys!

Girls and boys born at 33 to 36 weeks' gestation vs term had higher mortality rates up to age younger than 1 year.

What about future fertility? How does a pre-term birth affect their ability to reproduce when they are grown-up and ready (or not)?

Unfortunately, reproduction rates were lower for preterm vs term women of 22 to 27 weeks' gestation (25%) and 28 to 32 weeks' gestation (59.2%) while reproduction rates were lower for preterm vs term men of 22 to 27 weeks' gestation (13.9%) and 28 to 32 weeks' gestation (38.6%).

If you are planning a pregnancy and finding fertility difficult, find out if you or your partner were born early...it may play a major factor.

If you are pregnant - take it from the researchers and allow your baby to stay in the bun unless medically necessary.