Premature babies are at an educational disadvantage compared to those born at full term, new research has found. This difference is more marked when children enter school a year earlier because they have been born prematurely.
A study involving 12,000 children found almost one in three born before 37 weeks has lower Key Stage 1 test results than their full-term peers.
Some preterm babies born in August may start school a year earlier than if they had been a few weeks later in September on their due date
The University of Bristol research found more than a third of premature babies have special educational needs (SEN).
Experts in the UK are now calling for a change in policy so school entry age for children born prematurely is based on their expected due date – rather than their actual date of birth.
Lead author David Odd, a clinician based at Southmead Hospital NICU in Bristol, said difficulties faced by premature babies in school could be “avoidable”.
“Our research indicates that children who were born prematurely are at higher risk of poor school performance and in greater need of additional educational support at primary school,” Odd said.
“Some of the social and educational difficulties these children face may be avoidable by recognising the impact that their date of birth has on when they start school.”
In the study, researchers analysed data of almost 12,000 participants from the Children of the 1990s study at the University of Bristol.
They found a gradual reduction in mean Key Stage 1 scores for all children born after September, so younger in the school year.
The pattern was more marked in children born prematurely, especially if they entered school a year earlier because of being born early.
Some preterm babies born in August may start school a year earlier than if they had been born a few weeks later in September on their due date.
Data showed that up to one in six premature babies are enrolled in school a year earlier than they would have been if they had been born at full term, between 37 and 42 weeks.
Al Aynsley-Green, former first Children’s Commissioner for England and professor emeritus of Child Health, University College London, said: “The increase in survival rates for premature babies is a great medical success.
“However, the consequence of this for too many infants is that their educational needs are not being addressed adequately, including the age at which they start formal school education.
“Education experts must look at these data and argue for a change in policy so that the school entry age for children born prematurely is based on their expected due date rather than their premature date of birth.”
Preterm Birth, Age at School Entry and Educational Performance is published in the journal PLoS ONE.