Babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy are also less likely to have severe disabilities, although some risk of delayed development remainsPremature babies born in recent years are more likely to survive and less likely to have severe disabilities than those born in the mid-1990s, research has revealed. “Not only has survival [of premature babies] improved, but survival without these [severe] disabilities,” said Pierre-Yves Ancel, professor of public health at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research and co-author of the research. No change was seen for less premature babies, with survival – and survival without severe disabilities – high in both studies. Developmental delay in 'moderate to late' preterm babies, study finds Read moreThat, says Ancel, suggests that while the rates of severe disabilities among premature babies is improving, they remain at risk of developmental delay. But, he said, it was of concern that babies born very preterm have no better outlook for their neurodevelopment than those born more than a decade before.

Source: The Guardian August 16, 2017 22:30 UTC