Premature Girl Babies at Higher Risk of Memory, Learning Problems

Premature birth can affect brain development in girls. A new study says girls born before their gestational age are more likely to experience memory and learning difficulties as teenagers.

Babies born before 37 weeks of gestational age are considered to be premature. In U.S. one in every eight babies or more than half a million are born prematurely.

Dr. Julia Pitcher and Dr. Michael Ridding from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute found teen girls born prematurely possessing brains with "reduced plasticity." According to the authors, this occurrence can lead to poor memory and learning difficulties.

"Plasticity in the brain is vital for learning and memory throughout life. It enables the brain to reorganize itself, responding to changes in environment, behavior and stimuli by modifying the number and strength of connections between neurons and different brain areas. Plasticity is also important for recovery from brain damage," Dr. Pitcher said in a news release. "We know from past research that preterm-born children often experience motor, cognitive and learning difficulties. The growth of the brain is rapid between 20 and 37 weeks gestation, and being born even mildly preterm appears to subtly but significantly alter brain microstructure, neural connectivity and neurochemistry."

While exploring the risks associated with these alterations in the brain, the authors noticed these teens having very low level of cortisol in their saliva, a proof of reduced brain responsiveness.

According to Dr. Pitcher, cortisol fluctuations both up and down are crucial for "learning, the consolidation of new knowledge into memory and the later retrieval of those memories."

"Teenagers born preterm clearly showed reduced neuroplasticity in response to brain stimulation," Dr Pitcher said. "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.

The study has been published in the Journal of Neuroscience.