Babies born very prematurely 'more likely to be unemployed and single as adults'

People who were born extremely prematurely and at low weights tend to have more chronic health problems and lower incomes than people with normal birth weights, a new study has found.

The adults who weighed less as newborns were also found to experience higher levels of unemployment, and were less likely to have children or be in relationships.

Lower self esteem was another trait which appeared more often in the prematurely-born participants than the control group.

However, survivors were found to be less likely to suffer from drug or alcohol problems once they reached adulthood.

The study, conducted by researchers from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, only applies to extremely low birth weight (ELBW) babies, who were born weighing under 1kg (2lbs, 3oz) after the advent of modern neonatal intensive care methods.

The team, led by Professor Saroj Saigal, published their study as the first crop of these individuals enter their 40s.

100 adult ELBW survivors and 89 control participants were included in the study, and while they didn't significantly differ in their overall levels of education or familial and romantic relationships, there were important contrasts in some areas.

In a paper on their research, published in the JAMA Pediatrics medical journal, the authors note that since the sample size was fairly small, their findings should be taken with some caution.

In the study, they said that while "the majority of extremely premature adults are living independently and contributing well to society," it is essential that they receive "neccessary support and continued monitoring" to help them deal with the effects of their early births.