Reference
Eves, R., Mendonça, M., Baumann, N., Ni, Y., Darlow, B. A., Horwood, J., Woodward, L. J., Doyle, L. W., Cheong, J., Anderson, P. J., Bartmann, P., Marlow, N., Johnson, S., Kajantie, E., Hovi, P., Nosarti, C., Indredavik, M. S., Evensen, K.-A. I., Räikkönen, K., Heinonen, K., Zeitlin, J., & Wolke, D. (2021). Association of very preterm birth or very low birth weight with intelligence in adulthood: An individual participant data meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 175(8), e211058. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.1058
Review
In this article, Eves et al. (2021) assessed the differences in adult IQ between individuals born very preterm (VPT) or with very low birth weight (VLBW) and term-born individuals. The authors conducted a systematic review of published data and a meta-analysis of individual participant data (IPD) from cohorts in two consortia (RECAP and APIC). The study included 2135 adults (1068 VPT/VLBW and 1067 term-born participants) born between 1978 and 1995.
The researchers found that VPT/VLBW participants had mean adult IQ scores that were 0.78 SD lower than term-born participants, equivalent to a difference of 12 IQ points. Among VPT/VLBW participants, lower gestational age, lower birth weight z scores, the presence of neonatal bronchopulmonary dysplasia or any grade of intraventricular hemorrhage, and lower maternal educational levels were all significantly associated with lower IQ scores in adulthood.
The findings from this IPD meta-analysis provide valuable insights into the factors associated with lower adult IQ in individuals born with VPT or VLBW. The study emphasizes the importance of addressing neonatal morbidities and maternal educational levels as potential interventions to improve long-term cognitive outcomes for this population.
