An analytical study published in the medical journal "JAMA Pediatrics" on Friday found that children born preterm by five weeks or more, who experience low birth weight, may have a lower future IQ compared to those born at term.
According to the study, individuals born at 32 weeks of gestation or less and weighing 5 pounds and 8 ounces, which is considered the minimum healthy birth weight, scored 12 points lower on IQ tests compared to their peers born at 37 weeks or more with normal weight.
Researchers stated that the findings suggest that health at birth may influence intelligence and cognitive function later in life.
Dieter Wolke, a co-author of the study, said: "Up to 2% of children worldwide are born prematurely, defined as birth at 32 weeks or less, which significantly affects their IQ levels."
During the study, Wolke and his colleagues gathered data from 13 studies involving nearly 2,000 adults who were born preterm or with very low birth weight.
Most participants in these studies underwent IQ testing in their twenties, and the data indicated that despite the studies using different tests to assess IQ, the average scores among youths born preterm or with very low birth weight were approximately 20% or 12 points lower than those born at term or with normal weight, according to the UPI website.
