Scientific team from the University of Edinburgh and Imperial College London studied how early births affect children’s school readiness and academic performance. They analyzed data from nearly 16,000 children born before 32 weeks of pregnancy in England between 2008 and 2012.
It turned out that more than half of them (57%) were not ready for school by the age of five: speech, communication skills, physical and emotional development were affected. The risk of delay was particularly high in infants born at 23–24 weeks: their developmental delay was three times higher compared to children born at 31 weeks.
At ages 6–7, academic difficulties persisted: 51% did not reach expected levels in writing, 48% in mathematics, 42% in reading, and 36% in science.
Academic outcomes are influenced not only by birth timing, but also by parents’ social status. Children from disadvantaged areas had twice the probability of poor performance. Development can be affected by maternal smoking during pregnancy, diet quality, certain medications, and social deprivation.
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