Do premature babies have learning difficulties?

The lower a baby's birth weight and gestational age, the more likely he is to have some learning differences as he gets older. About half of preemies weighing less than 3 1/2 pounds at birth develop learning disabilities or behavioral issues, says Cathy Boatman, a child development specialist at the Children's Medical Center of Dallas. read more

Premature birth is defined as being born before the start of the 37th week of pregnancy. (Full-term pregnancies last about 40 weeks.) The more premature a baby is, the greater the risk for that baby to have learning and attention issues. But this doesn’t mean that all premature babies go on to have learning and attention issues. Many do not. read more