Late-Preterm Birth and Its Association With Cognitive and Socioemotional Outcomes at 6 Years of Age

Abstract

Late-preterm birth is associated with behavioral problems and lower IQ at the age of 6, independent of maternal IQ, residential setting, and sociodemographics. Future research is needed to investigate whether these findings result from a reduction in gestational length, in utero (eg, obstetric complications) or ex-utero (eg, neonatal complications) factors marked by late-preterm birth, or some combination of these factors.