SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES OF INFANTS BORN MODERATELY AND LATE PRETERM.

Objective To assess the relationship of moderate and late preterm birth (32–36 6/7 weeks) to long-term educational outcomes. Study design We hypothesized that moderate and late preterm birth would be associated with adverse outcomes in elementary school. To test this, we linked vital statistics-patient discharge data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development including birth outcomes, to the school year 2015-2016 administrative data of a large, urban school district (N = 72,316). We compared the relative risk of moderate and late preterm and term infants for later adverse neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes in kindergarten through 12th grade. Results After adjusting for socioeconomic status, compared with term birth, moderate and late preterm birth was associated with increased risk of low performance in mathematics and English language arts, chronic absenteeism, and suspension. These risks emerged in kindergarten through second grade and remained in grades 3–5, but appeared to wash out in later grades, with the exception of suspension which remained through grades 9–12. Conclusions Confirming our hypothesis, moderate and late preterm birth was associated with adverse educational outcomes in late elementary school, indicating that it is a significant risk factor that school districts could leverage when targeting early intervention. Future studies will need to test these relations in geographically and socioeconomically diverse school districts, include a wider variety of outcomes, and consider how early interventions moderate associations between birth outcomes and educational outcomes.