Premature infants tend to have lower income and education levels in adulthood.

Approximately 10% of all births worldwide occur prematurely. Although this is not an uncommon phenomenon, previous scientific studies on premature infants have often focused on short-term clinical outcomes, while long-term socio-economic consequences received less attention.

Aware of this gap, a group of Canadian researchers set out to investigate how individuals born prematurely fared in adulthood regarding income, education, and employment. The researchers published their findings on identified correlations in the journal PLOS One.

In their study, the authors analyzed data from 2.4 million individuals who were born alive in Canada between 1990 and 1996. In addition to birth-related details, the researchers included information about education, employment, and income up to 2018.

More than 172,000 individuals, or about 7% of the total sample, were born prematurely, that is, at less than 37 weeks of gestation. They compared this information with data on those who were born at term, taking into account factors such as gender, parental demographic information, region of birth, and other variables.

The study found that individuals born prematurely had an average annual income from employment between the ages of 18 and 28 that was $958 Canadian dollars (over 67,000 rubles at the current exchange rate), or approximately 6%, lower than those who were born at term.

Additionally, the likelihood of being employed was 2.13% lower for the prematurely born group. A similar trend was observed regarding higher education: preterm infants were 17% and 16% less likely to enroll in universities and obtain degrees, respectively.

The identified correlations were even more pronounced among those born extremely prematurely, meaning those born before the 28-week mark. In terms of annual labor income, they earned on average $5,643 Canadian dollars (over 535,000 rubles), or 27%, less than their term-born counterparts. The gap in university enrollment and graduation rates reached 45%.

The researchers explained their findings with several possible reasons. The third trimester of pregnancy (28-32 weeks) is a period of rapid brain growth; therefore, premature births can disrupt its development, as supported by data from other studies.

A low gestational age is also associated with issues in neurological development and overall health, which can later impact an individual's academic achievements. Furthermore, premature infants are more often born into socially disadvantaged families, which may further exacerbate their circumstances.

Discussing the importance of the research, the authors noted that understanding the potential issues associated with premature birth can be invaluable for developing policies aimed at increasing access to educational and developmental programs for premature infants at an early age. This could enhance the long-term prospects for such individuals.