Infants born early are more likely to die during childhood and, if they survive, less likely to have children

Premature birth has lasting effects, study finds | By Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

4:26 PM PDT, March 25, 2008 Infants born early are more likely to die during childhood and, if they survive, less likely to have children of their own, researchers report.
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The study, conducted using Norwegian birth data, suggests that, as the percentage of premature infants who make it through their first year continues to grow because of advances in neonatology, the number of troubled infants and adults will also rise.
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Experts said the situation is probably worse in the United States.
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One in eight American infants is now born prematurely, a total of more than half a million per year, despite the best efforts of physicians to bring more pregnancies to full term -- defined as 38 weeks or longer.
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A total of 5.2% of the births were premature, less than half the percentage in the U.S.

For boys born the most prematurely, between 22 and 27 weeks, their risk of death was 5.3 times normal between the ages of 1 and 6 and seven times normal between 7 and 13. For boys born between 28 and 32 weeks, the risk of death was 2.5 time normal in early childhood and 2.3 times normal in late childhood.

The most premature girls had 9.7 times the normal risk of death between ages 1 and 6, but no increased risk between 7 and 13. Girls born between 28 and 32 weeks did not have a significantly increased risk of death.

The investigators are not sure what accounts for the increased risk, but some of it is due to cancer and congenital abnormalities, Swamy said.

In adulthood, boys born the most prematurely were 76% less likely to reproduce, with only about one in seven having children. Women were 67% less likely to reproduce, with one in four having children.
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