HealthDay (9/26) reports, “Only some of the physical and mental health problems previously associated with preterm birth are actually caused by it,” according to a study published In JAMA Psychiatry. Investigators “analyzed the medical records of 3.3 million children born in Sweden between 1973 and 2008, and confirmed the strong link between preterm birth (generally classified as before 37 weeks’ gestation) and the risk of infant and young adult death, autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD).” But, the researchers “also concluded that many other problems that have been linked with preterm birth – such as severe mental illness, learning problems, suicide and poverty – may instead be more closely related to other factors that people share with other family members.”
Related Links:
— “Preemies’ Woes Sometimes Due to Heredity, Study Says, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, September 25, 2013.