Prenatal Progesterone and Educational Attainments

Abstract

Children whose mothers received prenatal progesterone have been shown to be advanced in development at one year and to have greater academic achievement at 9-10 years. This study compares the educational attainments at 17-20 years of 34 progesterone children with 37 normal and 12 toxaemic controls. More progesterone children continued schooling after 16 years compared with controls; a higher proportion left school with 'O' level and 'A' level passes, the average number of passes per child was greater at both levels and more obtained a university place. The best academic results were in those whose mothers had received over 5 grams of prenatal progesterone, and for whom administration commenced before the sixteenth week and treatment lasted longer than eight weeks.