Today Show Discusses Lifelong Risks of Prematurity

Wednesday, March 26, 2008 11:54

Posted in category Preemies

In keeping with yesterday’s discussion on longterm effects of prematurity, in the past 24 hours, The Today Show and NBC Nightly News both featured stories which addressed the lifelong problems associated with preterm birth. The story was prompted by a recently published study of Norwegian preemies which showed an increased risk of mortality and medical problems into adolescent years for children born preterm.

The Today Show story highlighted the following study findings – children born prematurely tended to have:

shorter life spans
lower educational achievement
a more difficult time conceiving their own children (I always wondered about the effects of all those x-rays our 31 weeker had . . .)
a higher likelihood of having a preterm baby (for female preemies in adulthood).

Click here to view the Today Show story. To the left of the video player, you should be able to find a link to the NBC Nightly News story as well. If you’re interested in reading the study for yourself, the full text article is available online at the Journal of the American Medical Association website.

2 Responses to “Today Show Discusses Lifelong Risks of Prematurity”

Preemies at Risk for Kidney Disease - Prematurity Awareness | Kristie McNealy, MD says:

November 20th, 2008 at 8:02 pm

[...] including heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and type II diabetes. Not to mention reduced fertility, lower educational potential and an increased risk of having their own children too [...]
Octuplet Birth Raises Ethical Questions and Public Outrage | Kristie McNealy, MD says:

February 1st, 2009 at 12:48 pm

[...] carries high costs to both the babies and society. Premature babies are at risk for life long developmental and medical complications, including death. They are subjected to painful medical procedures in an effort to keep them [...]