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Academic achievement varies with gestational age among children born at term

Kimberly G Noble1, William P Fifer, Virginia A Rauh

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, 630 W. 168th St, P&S Box 16, New York, NY 10033, USA. kgn2106@columbia.edu

Pediatrics
|July 4, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Children born earlier in the normal term range (37-38 weeks gestation) had lower school achievement in reading and math compared to those born at 39-41 weeks. This finding was independent of other factors.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal health
  • Developmental pediatrics
  • Educational psychology

Background:

  • Gestational age is a critical factor in child development.
  • The "normal term" range (37-41 weeks) encompasses significant developmental variation.
  • Previous research has not fully elucidated school achievement differences within this normal term range.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate school achievement variations in children born between 37 and 41 weeks' gestation.
  • To determine if gestational age within the normal term range impacts third-grade reading and math abilities.
  • To assess the influence of social and biological factors on this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 128,050 singleton births in a large US city.
  • Matching birth records with third-grade standardized test scores.
  • Statistical assessment of gestational age and mediating factors on academic outcomes.

Main Results:

  • A significant positive association was found between later gestational age (39-41 weeks) and higher third-grade reading and math scores.
  • Children born at 37-38 weeks gestation demonstrated significantly lower academic achievement.
  • This association persisted independently of birth weight and other socioeconomic/obstetric variables.

Conclusions:

  • Earlier normal term birth (37-38 weeks) is linked to poorer school performance.
  • Gestational age within the normal term range is a potential indicator for identifying at-risk children.
  • This information can inform researchers, clinicians, and parents about potential developmental trajectories.
Abstract

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