Study Finds Link Between Preterm Birth and Future Income - Video

By analyzing all live births in Canada over six years and following children for more than two decades, researchers found that preterm births and the related cognitive, development, and physical health impacts of prematurity are associated with lower income, employment, and university enrollment.

Individuals born before 37 weeks of gestation, considered to be preterm infants, have, on average, lower employment income, university enrollment, and educational attainment through age 28, according to a new study published in the journal

PLOS ONE. In the new study, researchers used data on 2.4 million individuals born in Canada between 1990 and 1996. Information on the individuals’ birth, as well as their employment and education through 2018, was available.

The study found that, after controlling for baseline characteristics such as parental demographics, the average income of preterm-born individuals at ages 18 to 28 was 6% lower per year than those born at term. Those born preterm were also 2.13% less likely to be employed, 17% less likely to enroll in university, and 16% less likely to graduate with a university degree. For individuals born at the earliest gestation, 24-27 weeks, those associations were even stronger with a 17% lower annual income and a 45% decrease in university enrollment and graduation rates.

Petros Pechlivanoglou, co-author of the study says: "While clinical care during the neonatal period is critical, our findings suggest that the development of long-term supports that go beyond clinical care may help mitigate the longer-term effects of preterm birth. Policymakers and society as a whole must recognize that the socioeconomic impact of preterm birth may extend into early adulthood and that considerations for ongoing support could be vital to ensuring this population has equal opportunity to thrive.”

Reference: Ahmed AM, Pullenayegum E, McDonald SD, Beltempo M, Premji SS, Pole JD, et al. (2024) Association between preterm birth and economic and educational outcomes in adulthood: A population-based matched cohort study. PLoS ONE 19(11): e0311895. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311895