Being a premature child can have repercussions that may lead to medical as well as other complications much later in life. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that even when no disability is apparent, premature children can suffer long lasting complications. They also found the risk of mental as well as health related disorders increasing as the gestational age at birth decreased. The term premature birth is used when a baby is born prior to 37 weeks of gestation.

The Norwegian researchers reported that premature babies are more likely to suffer from problems like cerebral palsy and mental retardation. They would need to receive disability payments and on growing up, were less likely to have a high income, more likely to be unemployed, more likely to receive Social Security benefits and less likely to become parents.

Study lead author Dag Moster, MD, PhD, of the University of Bergen in Norway, and colleagues said, “Recent advances in the care of premature infants have resulted in increasing rates of survival. However, the increased prevalence of medical disabilities, learning difficulties, and behavioral and psychological problems among surviving preterm infants has raised concerns that these infants may have difficulties coping with adult life."

"The optimistic view is that the majority of preterm survivors in our study does not have medical disabilities and seem to function very well as adults. Despite the higher prevalence of disabilities among persons who were born prematurely, it should be recognized that a large proportion of the adults who were born prematurely and who did not have severe medical disabilities completed higher education and seemed to be functioning well," the researchers said.

Despite the results of the research, more studies are needed to identify risk factors that predict long term problems in premature babies. The study however found no association between unemployment or criminal behavior and premature births.

"It is important to emphasize that most premature children who survived without medical disabilities completed higher education, had good jobs and appeared to function well as adults," said Moster. Dr. Jennifer Kloesz, a neonatologist at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, said "If you have a baby who's made it through the NICU [neonatal intensive care unit] relatively OK, you need to keep reminding your child's health-care team that your child was born prematurely and try to optimize their chances for staying on track with developmental skills. And, be sure to take advantage of whatever services schools offer for premature babies," she said.