Pediatrics · 2 h ago
Preterm Birth Linked to Lower Cognitive Scores in Young Finnish Men
A nationwide retrospective register-based cohort study examined 192,767 Finnish males who completed cognitive testing during military service at a mean age of 19 to 20 years. Earlier gestational age and lower birth weight were associated with lower scores, with the largest differences among those born extremely preterm or at extremely low birth weight.
- Cohort included 192,767 Finnish males with military test data.
- Extremely preterm birth was linked to a 0.78-point lower score.
- Late preterm birth showed minimal cognitive differences.
- Numerical and visuospatial scores showed the largest differences.
Researchers linked national health and military registers to assess whether gestational age and birth weight were associated with cognitive performance in young adulthood. The cohort included 192,767 males born in Finland from 1987 to 1998 who had cognitive test data from compulsory military service; 10,016 (5.2%) were born preterm. The test assessed verbal, numerical, and visuospatial performance on a standardized 9-point scale.
Compared with those born at full term, participants born extremely preterm had an overall score 0.78 points lower (95% CI, −1.07 to −0.49). Differences were progressively smaller for less premature groups, with minimal differences after late preterm birth; associations plateaued at about 36 to 38 weeks’ gestation. Participants with extremely low birth weight scored 0.89 points lower than those with normal birth weight (95% CI, −1.23 to −0.55). Differences were most pronounced in numerical and visuospatial performance; verbal scores showed little or no association.
The findings indicate an association, not proof that preterm birth or low birth weight caused lower scores. The analysis was limited to males with military cognitive testing data, so results may not generalize to women or all young adults. The abstract reports no intervention or clinical assessment of individual outcomes.
In practice
This Finnish cohort suggests that cognitive-score differences in young adulthood are concentrated among males born extremely preterm or at very low birth weight; differences were minimal after late preterm birth. The results do not establish causation and do not show how individual scores translate into functional or clinical outcomes. Because participants were males with military-service testing data, applicability to women and young adults outside this setting is uncertain. The findings alone do not support a specific change in clinical care.
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JAMA Network Open: Preterm Birth and Birth Weight and Cognitive Performance Among Males Eligible for Military Service ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.