Academic Performance in Moderately and Late Preterm Children in the United States: Are They Catching Up?

Abstract

Abstract Objective: To determine whether preterm birth of 32-36 6/7 weeks gestation affected school performance from kindergarten through fifth grade. Study Design: We assessed 14350 full-term infants and 1195 moderately and late preterm infants followed in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten 2011 cohort for classroom performance in kindergarten-fifth grade. Multivariable regression was performed for comparisons, and data were weighted to be representative of the U.S. population. Results: Children born late preterm had no significant difference in their academic scores or performance, while moderately preterm children had lower academic scores and teacher performance scores when compared to full-term children. Both moderately and late preterm children had higher odds of individualized education plan needs and had learning disability diagnoses. Conclusions: Moderately preterm children have poor school performance compared to full-term children. Both moderately and late preterm children are at risk for learning disabilities and likely benefit from continued support and services to improve achievement throughout school.