From Preemies to Adults

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The grown-up preemies Hoekstra studied were all born at Children’s Hospital at between 23-29 weeks gestation. An average pregnancy is 40 weeks. All of them weighed less than 1,000 grams, or about 2.2 pounds, at birth.Back then, the survival rate for a micro preemie was just 53 percent. Since then, it’s increased to nearly 90 percent, thanks to medical advancements such as improved ventilators and drugs to treat underdeveloped lungs.

Researchers were able to get long-term data on 116 of the preemies ages 18-22 years, and the results were impressive. Almost 90 percent have graduated from high school and almost 60 percent have gone on to college. Three-fourths have a driver’s license, and nearly 90 percent have been employed. The group includes students with 4.0 GPAs, athletes and musicians.