Rutgers Study: Babies Born Late Term Fare Better Academically

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — A new study done at Rutgers University suggest a possible link between late-term births (babies born at 37 weeks and later) and better academic outcomes as the child progresses in school.

The study was just published in the well-regarded academic journal Pediatrics this July. You can read it here: https://pediatrics.aappublicat...

The Rutgers' research showed an association between gestational age at birth and above-average rankings in a number of academic subjects.

Forty weeks is considered the standard "nine months" that it take a baby to develop inside the mother's womb, although many babies are born early (at 37-38 weeks) and some are born "post-term" (41 weeks+). Note: The study did not examine premature babies, which is any birth before 37 weeks.

Rutgers compared teacher-reported outcomes for 1,405 children in the United States, all age 9. They analyzed their performance in mathematics, science and social studies, language and literacy. The children had been born at a range of time, some 37 weeks, which is considered early (but not premature), through 41 weeks gestation, which is considered a late birth.

They found that longer gestational age was significantly associated with average or above-average rankings in all subject areas. It also suggested a general pattern of worse outcomes for children born at early term (37-38 weeks) and better outcomes for those born at late term (41 weeks), compared with those born at term (39-40 weeks).

An intriguing finding was that late-term birth was significantly associated with improved test scores in math, said the Rutgers scientists.

“We hope that these findings will stimulate future research and data collection on the topic, in order to build a more substantial evidence base. More and better data are needed, particularly in the United States, that can allow researchers to link gestational age to educational outcomes throughout the full range of gestational age and to control for relevant potentially confounding factors,” said Dr. Nancy Reichman, professor of pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School’s Child Health Institute of New Jersey, and one of the study's authors.

Moreover, although the study did not specifically link findings to obstetric interventions/induced labor, Reichman said that “the findings should be factored in if and when deciding to intervene before labor naturally occurs.”

However, she added, “Since there have been relatively few studies of links between gestational age at term and children’s educational outcomes, particularly in the United States, it would be premature to change the national recommendation for delaying elective deliveries to 39 weeks at this point.”

The findings highlight the importance of gestational age, even among term infants, or babies born after 39-40 weeks in utero.

Reichman’s team plans to further investigate associations between gestational age at term and children’s and young adults’ cognitive and behavioral outcomes at different ages, she said.

In addition to Reichman, study authors included Amanda Hedges, a neonatology fellow at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at the time of the study, and economics researchers at Rider University and Princeton University.

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is one of the nation's leading medical schools.

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