Adults Born Preterm Face Higher Risk of Chronic Diseases: Study Finds - Video

The longest-running U.S. study on preterm birth has found that being born early can have lasting health consequences well into adulthood-affecting everything from heart health to mental wellbeing. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), highlight the urgent need to include birth history in adult medical records and develop long-term clinical guidelines for individuals born preterm.

The research, led by University of Rhode Island College of Nursing Professor Amy D’Agata, continues work that began in the 1980s with a cohort of infants born preterm at Women & Infants Hospital. The longitudinal study has followed 215 participants, including both preterm (born between 22 to 36 weeks of gestation) and full-term infants.

As these individuals approach their 40s, the data reveal clear health disparities between those born preterm and their full-term peers. According to D’Agata, preterm individuals are showing higher rates of high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, abdominal fat, and reduced bone density. Psychologically, they are more prone to internalizing stress, which manifests as higher levels of anxiety and depression.

“Preterm birth is not just a neonatal issue. It, in fact, is a lifelong condition,” said D’Agata. “We are now realizing that there is a very strong link between what happens to you early in life and later health outcomes.”

One critical finding is the lack of birth history documentation in adult healthcare. Many clinicians are unaware if a patient was born preterm, making it harder to assess risk for chronic conditions. D’Agata is calling for birth history to be a standard part of adult medical intake and for targeted screening guidelines to be developed.

“We believe a paradigm shift is needed in health care that recognizes preterm birth as a chronic condition requiring lifelong monitoring and support,” she emphasized.

This research is helping reshape how medicine views early birth—not as a one-time event, but a factor with lifelong implications.

Reference: D’Agata AL, Eaton C, Smith T, et al. Psychological and Physical Health of a Preterm Birth Cohort at Age 35 Years. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(7):e2522599. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.22599