Yesterday, I found sad news about premature babies.

According French researchers, premature babies are more entering childhood with learning difficulties and developmental problems. More than a third of children born before the seventh month of pregnancy are disabled, and the degree of disability rises the earlier they are born.

A study of 1,800 infants born before 33 weeks of gestation found a higher prevalence of disabilities including cerebral palsy, delayed language skills, perceptual problems, behavior disorders and learning difficulties than in a group of children born at 39 to 40 weeks of gestation in the same region. Such resources were used by 42% of children born at 24-28 weeks but 31% of those born 29-32 weeks - compared with only 16% of those born at 39-40 weeks.

photo credit: MikeBlyth

The so-called Epipage study then looked at the children when they were five years old, checking their physical health and tests of their memory and understanding.

The studies then divide disabilities as minor, moderate or severe. Rates of disability were highest amongst those born before 28 weeks, with 49% - where 195 babies affected. However, the actual number of children with disabilities was higher in the group born between 29 and 33 weeks with 441 babies affected - or 36%.

Similar pattern was seen when researchers looked at use of specialist health service such as physiotherapy, psychology, occupational therapy or day centers for the most-severely disabled.

Here are disabilities details:

• The children were all assessed for cognitive skills according to the mental processing composite (MPC) scale, a benchmark that is roughly equivalent to IQ. As they grow older, children with cognitive deficits will have difficulties at school and will need help or special education
• They were also checked for hearing or visual problems and for walking with or without an aid.
• Among children born very pre-term, five percent had severe disability, nine percent had moderate disability and 25 percent minor disability. Cerebral palsy was diagnosed in nine percent of children in this category.
• In the reference group, severe disability was found in 0.3 percent of children, moderate disability in three percent and minor disability among eight percent.
• Between 13 and 21 percent of children born at 24-28 weeks had an MPC of 70 or below, compared to only three percent in the reference group, where the MPC averaged more than 106.
• Special healthcare resources, such as physiotherapists, speech therapists, neurologists and day-care centers, were used by 42 percent of five-year-olds born at 24-28 weeks and by 31 percent of those born between 29 and 32 weeks.

It has surprised me to find that over 11,500 babies were born at under 33 weeks’ gestation in England and Wales. The study also said between 1.1 and 1.6 percent of babies in Europe today are born before 33 weeks gestation. France itself, almost 10,000 infants are born before 33 weeks, Numbers show that it’s extremely high.

We will still need more research on what interventions could help children’s learning and understanding as they develop. Preventing such disabilities and unlocking better ways to treat children with the disabilities, are essential.

Please comment if you have dealing with this problem. I hope I will find premature babies good news soon…

Tags: pregnancy, premature babies, premature babies development, babies

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