The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that each year, around one in eight babies are born prematurely, or at least three weeks before their due date. Unfortunately, with early birth come several risks, including the possibility of hearing loss, respiratory problems and intellectual disabilities.

As children who were born prematurely grow older, their parents may want to have them take an IQ test for kids to see how they are developing mentally. Identifying cognitive problems early is especially important, considering that new research from Australia's University of Adelaide has linked early birth to brain development trouble related to memory and learning abilities.

According to the researchers behind the study, children who are born prematurely often experience learning, motor and cognitive disabilities. This is due to the fact that the brain grows at a rapid pace between 20 and 37 weeks. The closer babies are born to this timeframe, the greater the risk of alterations in the brain.

"Teenagers born preterm clearly showed reduced neuroplasticity in response to brain stimulation," said Julia Pitcher, who worked on the study. "Surprisingly, even very modest preterm birth was associated with a reduced brain response. On the other hand, term-born teenagers were highly 'plastic' compared with adults and the preterm teens."