Long-term Cognition and Behavior in Children Born at Early-Term Gestation: A Systematic Review

Abstract

(Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2019;98:1227–1234) Infants that are born between 37 and 38 weeks gestation carry higher risk of neonatal morbidity in comparison to infants born at or after 39 weeks gestation, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has designated infants born at 37+0 weeks through 38+6 weeks as “early-term.” This is a change from the previously held belief that all “term” infants (infants born after 37+0 wk gestation) are similar in development. Recent studies have suggested that late-preterm children (born from 34+0 and 36+6 wk) are more likely to have academic challenges and behavioral problems, although the evidence provided is not definitive. Nielsen and collegues conducted this systematic review to thoroughly examine the literature on the differences between early-term children compared with full-term children in long-term cognitive, educational, and behavioral outcomes.