1. The risk for impaired learning-related abilities in childhood and educational attainment among adults born near-term.
- Author
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Nomura Y, Halperin JM, Newcorn JH, Davey C, Fifer WP, Savitz DA, and Brooks-Gunn J
- Subjects
- Adult, Child, Child Development physiology, Cohort Studies, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Premature growth & development, Infant, Small for Gestational Age growth & development, Interview, Psychological, New York City, Risk Assessment, Risk Factors, Educational Status, Infant, Premature psychology, Infant, Small for Gestational Age psychology, Intelligence, Learning, Poverty psychology
- Abstract
Objective: To examine whether near-term births (NTB) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants are at high risk for childhood learning-related problems and poor adult educational attainment, and whether poverty amplifies the adverse effects of NTB and SGA on those outcomes., Methods: A randomly selected birth cohort (n = 1,619) was followed into adulthood. IQ and learning abilities were measured in childhood and educational attainment was measured in adulthood., Results: NTB (n = 226) and SGA (n = 154) were associated with lower educational attainment mediated through learning-related abilities at age 7. Childhood poverty moderated the impact of NTB on educational attainment both directly and mediated through lower learning-related abilities. Poverty did not moderate the effect of SGA., Conclusions: Poorer learning-related outcomes and educational attainment were not limited to children born very (<32 weeks) or extremely (<28 weeks) preterm, especially among those living in poverty. Targeted interventions such as remedial learning during childhood among NTB in poor families may yield higher educational attainment.
- Published
- 2009
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