Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 29, 2025
Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats
Published on: November 20, 2015
Cerebral disorders in the first 7 years of life in children born post-term: a cohort study
Anne Hald Rolschau1,2,3, Annette Wind Olesen4,5, Carsten Obel6
1Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Lillebaelt Hospital, Kolding, Denmark.
Insights
Post-term delivery did not significantly increase the risk of physical or mental disabilities and seizures in children up to age seven. However, a trend towards adverse outcomes was observed in post-term infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurology
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Post-term delivery, defined as birth after 42 weeks of gestation, is a concern for potential adverse infant outcomes.
- Understanding the long-term risks associated with post-term birth is crucial for clinical practice and parental guidance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between post-term delivery and the risk of physical disabilities, mental disabilities, and seizures in children up to seven years of age.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from 57,884 singleton infants in the Danish National Birth Cohort (1997-2004).
- Infants were categorized as term (39-41 weeks) or post-term (42-44 weeks).
- Clinical endpoints were assessed via interviews at 18 months, a 7-year questionnaire, and the Danish National Patient Register, using logistic and Cox regression analyses.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant increased risk of physical disabilities, mental disabilities, or epilepsy was found in post-term born children.
- A tendency towards more adverse outcomes was observed for most studied conditions in post-term infants.
- This tendency persisted when comparing late-term (week 41) to later post-term births (week 42+).
Conclusions:
- While not statistically significant, post-term born children showed a tendency towards an increased risk of neurological disabilities up to seven years of age.
- Further research may be warranted to fully elucidate the long-term neurological implications of post-term delivery.
Background:
To estimate the association between post-term delivery and risk of physical disabilities, mental disabilities, and seizures during the first 7 years of life.
Methods:
Data from 57,884 singleton infants born alive in week 39-45 by mothers included in the Danish National Birth Cohort (1997 to 2004) were analyzed, of these 51,268 were born at term (39-41 + 6) and 6616 post-term (42 + 0-44 + 6). Information on clinical endpoints was obtained from an interview at 18 months of gestational age, from a 7-year questionnaire, and from the Danish National Patient Register. Logistic regression and Cox regression were used to estimate odds ratios and hazard rate ratios for the outcome obtained from the interview/questionnaire data and from the register-based data, respectively.
Results:
We found no statistically significant increased risk of physical disabilities, mental disabilities, and epilepsy among children born post-term, though for most outcomes studied a tendency towards more adverse outcomes was seen. When children born late term (week 41) were compared to children born in week 42 or later the same tendency was found.
Conclusion:
Post-term born children had a tendency to an excess risk of neurological disabilities as followed for up to 7 years of age.
