RECAP preterm proudly announces that a first research paper is published now in Pediatrics: Bilgin, Mendonca & Wolke performed a metanalysis investigating whether preterm birth and low birth weight are associated with markers of wealth in adulthood. A prospective longitudinal and registry study containing reports on selected wealth-related outcomes in preterm or low-birth-weight-born adults compared with term-born controls was conducted. To compile the database the authors searched Medline, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Embase and could include 23 studies in the analysis, i.e. 5.9 million adults from eight countries. The key results display a decreased likelihood for preterm or low-birth-weight-born adults to obtain a higher education degree. Furthermore, these adults have a lower employment rate than term-born controls and as a results receive more likely social services – in other words preterms were more likely to have financial problems as adults than babies carried to full-term. A dose-response relationship according to gestational age was only found for education qualifications. Preterm born adults did not differ significantly from those born at term in independent living.

Due to the was high heterogeneity between studies the results might be limited. Structured and efficient follow-up from the early beginning could help in identifying educational need timely and providing coordinated care.

Get the abstract here (pediatrics.aappublications.org).

Could Early Birth Hinder Adult Success?  Read the full article about the research paper  (drugs.com/MedNews).

Please Note: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 733280.