Preemies are babies born before 37 weeks of gestation (a normal pregnancy lasts 40 weeks), and they often face issues like underdeveloped lungs, neurological deficiencies or difficulty eating. A new study shows another problem area for those born too early - love.
A Finnish study of people in their twenties suggests that those who were born prematurely are less likely to move in with a significant other or have sex with adults who were full term babies, according to News Max. Twenty-something adults who were premature babies most likely so not think of themselves as "sexy," and they most likely still live with their parents.
"Previous studies have found that individuals born preterm might be more cautious and less risk-taking than those born at full term, which might also be reflected in our findings of lower likelihood of romantic relations," lead study author Dr. Tuija Mannisto told News Max. Mannisto is a fellow in clinical chemistry with the National Institute for Health and Welfare and the Northern Finland Laboratory Centre Nordlab.
Researchers took a survey of people born in Finland between 1985 and 1989 (for an average age of 23). One-hundred forty-nine participants had been born preterm (less than 34 weeks gestation), 248 had been late preterm (between 34 and 37 weeks gestation) and 356 were full term babies.
Those born full term were 20 percent more likely to have lived with a boyfriend or girlfriend and 24 percent more likely to have had sex than late pretermers. The numbers were about the same between full term and early preterm study subjects.
When asked about their own sexual attractiveness, early preemies rated themselves a 6.2 on a scale of zero to 10. The numbers crawled up for late preterm (6.2) to full term (6.9) perceived sexiness.
The study was conducted in Finland, so researchers are unsure how results would translate to other countries. "Finland has few children living in poverty and offers generous parental leave and allowances for childcare, all factors that can contribute to better outcomes for preterm infants," according to NewsMax.
"At the end of the day, one of the best predictors of outcomes is maternal income and education and socioeconomic status," Dr. Kristi Watterberg, a neonatologist at the University of New Mexico, told NewsMax. Watterberg was not involved in the study.
There are many ways to encourage preemies socially, like skin-to-skin contact (also called "kangarooing") and gentle, soothing touches and coos. Premature babies do not like to be stroked or over stimulated. Letting them catch up to being outside the womb can lead to happier babies who grow into happier adults.
"What we have seen with kids is that babies who are born preterm tend to be more risk averse and shy and more fearful," Watterberg told NewsMax. "But on the other hand, we have seen that these kids tend to grow up and develop a good life, a life the kids and their parents are happy with."
The study results were published in the journal Pediatrics.
