Researchers at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, found that children born moderately premature, that is, just two to four weeks premature could face minor delays in development. The researchers also found that infants born moderately underweight are likely to experience such delays. These findings are contrary to current assumptions. Low birth weight is usually defined as less than 3.5 kilos.

Doctor Mary Hediger at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development led the research. She studied the physical and social development of approximately 4,500 children ages 2 months to 24 months old and concluded that moderately premature children could experience delays in their speech and motor skills.

"Such as crawling, walking, learning to say several words and string together sentences, climbing the stairsthe common, everyday sort of developmental milestones that children progress through in the course of growing up," says Dr. Hediger.

The researchers found that these developmental delays are very minor and don't last beyond the child's fourth year of age. But, Dr. Hediger says that pregnant women and their physicians should take these minor problems into consideration when they decide whether or not to induce labor early or perform an early C-section.

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