Today Show Discusses Lifelong Risks of Prematurity
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.
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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 [...]