Wednesday, January 15, 2014

About the consequences of preterm birth

The new study by Indiana University Bloomington researchers confirms the strong link between preterm birth and the risk of infant and young adult death, autism and ADHD. But it also suggests that other threats that have been closely tied to the issue, such as severe mental illness, learning problems, suicide and economic woes, may instead be more closely related to other conditions that family members share. “The study confirms the degree to which preterm birth is a major public health concern and strongly supports the need for social services that reduce the incidence of preterm birth”, said lead author Brian D'Onofrio, associate professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington. “Yet, the findings also suggest the need to extend services to all siblings in families with an offspring born preterm. In terms of policy, it means that the entire family, including all of the siblings, is at risk”. The study is entitled “Preterm birth and mortality and morbidity: A population-based quasi-experimental study” and is published in JAMA Psychiatry. Co-authors include medical researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.

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