Reference
Jaekel, J., Baumann, N., Bartmann, P., & Wolke, D. (2019). General cognitive but not mathematic abilities predict very preterm and healthy term born adults’ wealth. PLOS ONE, 14(3), e0212789. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212789
Review
In this article, the authors investigate the impact of very preterm (VP) or very low birth weight (VLBW) on adult wealth and whether this impact is mediated by mathematic abilities or general cognitive abilities. They conducted a longitudinal study of 193 VP/VLBW and 217 healthy term comparison participants from birth to adulthood in Bavaria, South Germany. At the age of eight, both mathematic and general cognitive abilities were assessed, and wealth information was collected at 26 years of age.
The authors found that VP/VLBW participants had lower mathematic and general cognitive abilities than healthy term comparison children, and they had accumulated significantly lower overall wealth at 26 years of age. Structural equation modeling showed that VP/VLBW birth and childhood IQ both directly predicted adult wealth, while math did not. This study highlights the importance of focusing on general cognitive abilities in designing effective interventions for individuals born at the highest neonatal risk to reduce the burden of prematurity.
The implications of this research are crucial for policymakers, educators, and healthcare professionals to develop targeted support systems for children born with VP/VLBW. By focusing on general cognitive abilities rather than specific mathematic problems, interventions can help alleviate the negative life-course consequences of premature birth, ultimately leading to more successful outcomes for individuals in terms of adult wealth accumulation.
