Low birth weight linked to academic problems in some adolescents
TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2013 10:40 AM

If a child's birth weight was low, his or her parents may want to have this youth complete an IQ test for kids. Based on new research from the University of Oregon, children with low birth weight may also have smaller brain volumes. This, in turn, could mean academic problems as they begin their schooling.

Study leader Caron A.C. Clark, a scientist in the University's Department of Psychology and Child and Family Center, was quick to point out that not every child who was born with a low birth weight will encounter trouble in school.

"Our new study shows that pre-term births do not necessarily mean academic difficulties are ahead," Clark said. "We had this group of children that did have academic difficulties, but there were a lot of kids in this data set who didn't and, in fact, displayed the same trajectories as their normal birth weight peers."

In the study, Clark and her team analyzed data from 97 adolescents who had low birth weights. Smaller brain volumes and academic deficits were linked to youths with lower birth weight. However, there was also evidence that several of the study subjects performed just as well academically as normal weight kids. This was true of 65.6 percent of very low birth rate adolescents and 41.2 percent of extremely preterm children.

The fact that some low-birth-weight babies go on to do well in school while others struggle makes it difficult to provide early learning interventions, Clark said. This dilemma is something the scientist is currently exploring.

Of course, babies born prematurely are known to be at risk of developing multiple problems, including impaired cognitive skills, according to the Mayo Clinic. For this reason, it may be a good idea for parents to monitor the mental development of kids born prematurely as they grow older.