Early babies, delivered between 37 and 38 gestational weeks, are more likely to have poor cardio-respiratory fitness - circulatory and respiratory systems - throughout their lives compared with babies born at 39 to 42 weeks, a recent study finds.
Cardio-respiratory fitness reflects the ability of the circulatory, respiratory and muscular systems to supply oxygen to muscles during exercise and is a major indicator of metabolic and cardiovascular health.
According to University of Queensland researchers, babies born even a few weeks early are more likely to have poor physical fitness throughout life.
Associate Professor Isabel Ferreira from the University Of Queensland in Australia said that babies delivered between 37 and 38 weeks had a 57 percent higher risk of poor cardio-respiratory fitness throughout their life compared with babies born at 39 to 42 weeks.
"Recent trends towards electively delivering babies earlier are worrisome in view of the health risks this may bring to the child," Dr Ferreira added.
It is becoming increasingly evident that babies born earlier - even by only a few
weeks - may face more adverse health outcomes as they get older.
These could include neurological, cognitive and respiratory issues in adolescence and early adulthood.
Dr Ferreira said the research had implications for public health policy.
"Health care providers and mothers should be informed of the lifelong health risks that early term deliveries may have on babies and refrain from these unless there is a medical reason," she said.
Mothers could be deterred from having scheduled caesarean-sections or induced labour without a medical reason.
The research is published in journal of the American Heart Association.
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