By IANS, [RxPG] Children born prematurely with low birth weight have the ability to achieve academic success and defy odds just as those born with normal birth weight, says a study.
The study, led by Indian origin neonatology expert Saroj Saigal at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, found no significant differences in educational achievement between children of premature births and those of normal birth weight.
Earlier research suggested premature babies face a greater risk of problems in behaviour and academic achievement.
The researchers studied 166 children born weighing 1.1 to 2.2lbs (0.5 to 1 kg) and 145 comparable normal birth weight children until they were in their mid-20s, reported the online edition of BBC News.
The researchers based their study on the hypothesis that the children of lower birth weight would have lower levels of educational achievement and employment and would be less independent.
A significant majority of young adults who were low birth weight infants have overcome earlier difficulties to become functional members of society, they found.
The study found that 82 percent of low birth weight children graduated from high school, compared to 87 percent of normal birth weight.
And about a third of the children, all of them born during 1977-1982, in each group went into post-secondary education.
There were also no significant differences between the groups in terms of independent living, marriage or cohabitation, the researchers said.
However in a sub-analysis, a larger proportion of extremely low birth weight participants - 26 percent - were not employed due to chronic illness or permanent disability compared to normal birth weight subjects (15 percent).
It was important that parents of very premature babies did not "wrap their children up in cotton wool" and inadvertently damage their chances of living independently, Gillian Fletcher, former president of the National Childbirth Trust and an antenatal teacher said.
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Indo-Asian News Service
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