Warwick-Led Research Highlights Long-Term Impact of Very Preterm Birth on Work, Relationships and Wellbeing

Warwick-Led Research Highlights Long-Term Impact of Very Preterm Birth on Work, Relationships and Wellbeing

(IN BRIEF) A 34-year study co-led by the University of Warwick has found that most adults born very preterm or at very low birth weight go on to live stable and satisfying lives by their mid-30s. However, around one in five face lasting economic and social difficulties, particularly around employment, romantic relationships and friendships. The Bavarian Longitudinal Study followed 416 adults, including 214 born before 32 weeks or under 1.5kg, from birth in the mid-1980s to age 34. Researchers identified three adult outcome groups: optimal functioning, moderate functioning and low economic and social functioning. The strongest predictor of adult outcomes was childhood IQ at age eight. A 15-point increase in childhood IQ was linked to a 79% reduction in the odds of poor economic and social functioning in adulthood. The researchers said the findings point to the importance of early cognitive support, positive parenting and good schooling.

(PRESS RELEASE) COVENTRY, 21-Jul-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — A landmark 34-year study co-led by the University of Warwick has found that most adults born very preterm or at very low birth weight go on to build stable and satisfying lives by their mid-30s, but around one in five experience lasting difficulties with employment, romantic relationships and friendships.

The findings, published in JAMA Pediatrics, come from the Bavarian Longitudinal Study, one of the longest-running cohort studies of its kind internationally.

Led by Professor Dieter Wolke at the University of Warwick, the study followed 416 adults, including 214 who were born very preterm, before 32 weeks of gestation, or at very low birth weight, under 1.5kg or 3.3lbs.

Participants were followed from birth in the mid-1980s through to the age of 34, allowing researchers to examine how early-life factors were linked to adult outcomes across work, wealth, risk avoidance and social relationships.

Using detailed life-course interviews covering finances, risk-related behaviour and relationships with parents, partners and friends, researchers identified three main patterns of adult functioning.

The first group showed optimal functioning, doing well across all major areas of life. This applied to 74% of full-term participants and 56% of those born very preterm or at very low birth weight.

A second group showed moderate functioning, generally doing well but experiencing more difficulties with romantic relationships and lower economic success. This included 24% of full-term participants and 26% of very preterm or very low birth weight participants.

A third group showed low economic and social functioning, with difficulties around money, friendships and partnerships. This pattern was seen in 1.5% of full-term participants but 18% of those born very preterm or at very low birth weight.

Dr Elif Gönen, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick, said the results show that just over half of those born very preterm or with very low birth weight achieved optimal functioning across risk avoidance, wealth and social relations.

She added that the adults in the low-functioning group reported much lower life satisfaction than those in the other groups.

To understand which childhood factors were most strongly linked with adult outcomes, the research team examined a wide range of influences.

These included preterm birth itself, sex, self-control, parenting quality, peer relationships in primary school, family income and background, family climate and the parents’ own relationship.

Several factors were individually associated with better adult functioning, including being born at term, greater effort in childhood tasks and positive parenting.

However, when all factors were assessed together, one stood out as the strongest independent predictor: childhood IQ at age eight.

A 15-point increase in childhood IQ, roughly the average gap observed between children born very preterm and their full-term peers, was associated with a 79% reduction in the odds of poor economic and social functioning in adulthood.

Professor Dieter Wolke, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick, said the study offers a more hopeful and nuanced picture of outcomes for people born very preterm.

“For decades, the question we’ve been asked most is whether children born very preterm are destined to struggle for life,” said Professor Wolke.

He said the findings show that most people born very preterm are doing well in their thirties, building careers, relationships and friendships in ways broadly similar to their peers.

However, he added that a substantial minority continue to face real difficulties and report much lower life satisfaction.

Professor Wolke said the most striking finding is the role of childhood cognitive ability, which is not fixed and can respond to the environment in which a child grows up.

He said early support for children’s thinking and learning skills, through positive parenting and good schooling, could influence how lives unfold decades later.

The researchers said the findings matter because survival rates for babies born very preterm or at very low birth weight are now around 95%.

As more people who might once not have survived infancy reach adulthood, understanding what helps them thrive has become an important public health priority.

The study suggests that support should not focus only on managing risks associated with preterm birth. Investment in early cognitive development, including parenting support and school-based interventions, could have long-lasting benefits for children born preterm and full-term alike.

The paper, “Childhood Factors and Positive Functioning Among Adults Born Very Preterm or With Very Low Birth Weight,” was authored by Elif Gönen, Eveline S. Twilhaar, Nicolas Tsalacopoulos, Barbara Busch, Peter Bartmann and Dieter Wolke.

The research was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Science, the European Commission Horizon 2020 RECAP Consortium and UK Research and Innovation.

The Bavarian Longitudinal Study has followed participants born in Bavaria, Germany, between January 1985 and March 1986 across nine assessment points from birth to age 34.

The current analysis was conducted by researchers at the University of Warwick, alongside colleagues at the University of Leicester, Monash University and University Hospital Bonn.

Notes to Editors

• Full paper: Gönen E, Twilhaar ES, Tsalacopoulos N, Busch B, Bartmann P, Wolke D. “Childhood Factors and Positive Functioning Among Adults Born Very Preterm or With Very Low Birth Weight.” JAMA Pediatrics. Published online 20 July 2026. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.2877
• Very preterm/very low birth weight is defined as birth before 32 weeks’ gestation and/or birth weight under 1500g.
• The study was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Science, the European Commission Horizon 2020 RECAP Consortium, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
• The Bavarian Longitudinal Study has followed participants born in Bavaria, Germany, between January 1985 and March 1986 across nine assessment points, from birth to age 34. The current analysis, conducted by researchers at the University of Warwick alongside colleagues at the University of Leicester, Monash University and University Hospital Bonn, is published in JAMA Pediatrics on 20 July 2026.

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SOURCE: University of Warwick