Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 27, 2026
Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
Published on: February 18, 2012
School performance at age 7 years in late preterm and early term birth: a cohort study
Evelyn Chan1, Maria A Quigley1
1National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Insights
Late preterm birth (34-36 weeks gestation) and early term birth (37-38 weeks gestation) are linked to poorer school performance at age 7. These findings highlight the importance of considering gestational age in academic outcome assessments.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal and developmental psychology
- Educational neuroscience
- Public health and epidemiology
Background:
- Gestational age at birth is a critical factor influencing child development.
- Late preterm birth (34-36 weeks) and early term birth (37-38 weeks) represent significant proportions of deliveries.
- Understanding the long-term academic consequences of these birth timings is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the impact of late preterm and early term birth on school performance at age 7.
- To assess academic outcomes using standardized Key Stage 1 (KS1) assessments in England.
- To identify specific academic domains affected by non-full-term birth.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, a population-based prospective cohort.
- Included linked educational data for 6031 children.
- Analyzed statutory Key Stage 1 (KS1) teacher assessments in reading, writing, and mathematics.
Main Results:
- 18% of full-term children did not achieve the expected KS1 general performance level.
- Increased risk of poor academic performance was observed with greater prematurity.
- Late preterm birth showed a statistically significant increased risk (adjusted RR 1.36) of poor general performance; early term birth did not significantly impact the primary outcome but showed deficits in specific subjects.
Conclusions:
- Late preterm birth negatively impacts academic outcomes at age 7.
- Early term birth also shows negative effects on specific academic domains, though less pronounced than late preterm birth.
- These findings underscore the importance of monitoring academic development in children born preterm or early term.
Objective:
To investigate the effect of gestational age, particularly late preterm birth (34-36 weeks gestation) and early term birth (37-38 weeks gestation) on school performance at age 7 years.
Design:
Population-based prospective UK Millennium Cohort Study, consisting of linked educational data on 6031 children.
Methods:
School performance was investigated using the statutory Key Stage 1 (KS1) teacher assessments performed in the third school year in England. The primary outcome was not achieving the expected level (≥level 2) of general performance in all three key subjects (reading, writing and mathematics). Other outcomes investigated subject-specific performance and high academic performance (level 3).
Results:
18% of full-term children performed below the expected KS1 general level, and risk of poor performance increased with prematurity: compared to children born at full-term, there was a statistically significant increased risk of poor performance in those born very preterm (<32 weeks gestation, adjusted RR 1.78, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.54), moderately preterm (32-33 weeks gestation, adjusted RR 1.71, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.54) and late preterm (34-36 weeks gestation, adjusted RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.68). Early term children performed statistically significantly worse in 4 out of 5 individual subject domains than full-term children, but not in the primary outcome (adjusted RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.23).
Conclusions:
Late preterm, and to a lesser extent, early term birth negatively impact on academic outcomes at 7 years as measured by KS1 assessments.
More Related Videos
19:15Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
08:05Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques
Published on: June 30, 2020
