Cerebral Palsy is More Likely in Late Preterm Babies

According to USA today, babies who are born at 34 to 36 weeks' gestation are three times more likely to be diagnosed with cerebral palsy than those who may be born at the full term. Additionally, these "late preterm" babies, born just a few weeks early, are modestly but significantly more likely to be diagnosed with developmental delays or mental retardation.

"We're surprised to see the late preterm babies had a higher risk of cerebral palsy," says lead author Joan Petrini, director of the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center in White Plains, N.Y. They also had a 25% higher risk of developmental delay or mental defects than full term babies.

Most of the children that participated in this study had not yet entered school, when learning disabilities are much more likely to be seen, the authors claim, so their results may underestimate the proportion of late preterm children with brain developmental problems.

Whether the factors that are involved in a preterm birth or the preterm birth itself raises the risks of neurological problems isn't known, says Petrini. The study's authors lacked information about whether the mothers had complication, such as pregnancy induced high blood pressure or gestational diabetes, or risk factors, such as smoking during pregnancy.

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