SCIENCE REPORT - Premature Baby Study

SCIENCE REPORT -January 30, 2002: Premature¹ Baby Study

By Jerilyn Watson

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This is Sarah Long with the VOA Special English Science Report.

Scientists have reported the first long-term study of children who were born earlier and smaller than normal. The
researchers measured the progress of these premature babies compared with normal children.

Maureen Hack² of Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio led the
twenty-year study. The New England Journal of Medicine published the results.The
researchers studied almost five-hundred premature and normal children. The children were
born in a poor area of Cleveland between Nineteen-Seventy-Seven and Nineteen -Seventy-
Nine.

On average, the premature babies were born in the twenty-ninth week of pregnancy³. Thirty-
seven weeks of pregnancy is considered full-term. The babies weighed less than one-thousand-five -hundred
grams. They were more likely to have serious medical problems including cerebral⁴ palsy, blindness and lung
disease.

The premature group did worse on intelligence tests than the others. Still, seventy-four percent of them
completed high school. Eighty-three percent of the normal group finished high school.

Both groups tested lower than average on intelligence tests. Experts say these results may not represent the rest of
the nation. They say children from rich families usually do better on intelligence tests.

The researchers say the study showed that the young people born too soon got into less trouble than the other
group. They had fewer problems with alcohol, drugs and crime. The girls had fewer pregnancies⁵. Children of
lower intelligence often get involved in risk-taking activities. So the scientists had not expected this result.

Doctor Hack said the medical problems of the premature group did not surprise the researchers. The babies were
born before their organs had a chance to fully⁶ develop. Blindness and lung disease often threaten premature
babies. Some also suffer severe muscular damage.

The researchers say the premature children had unusually protective and careful parents. This may have saved
their lives. The researchers also say extremely watchful⁷ parents may have prevented the children from getting
into trouble.

About forty -thousand premature babies are born each year in the United States. This is about one -percent of the
total number of babies born in this country every year.

This VOA Special English Science Report was written by Jerilyn Watson. This is Sarah Long.

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1 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

2 hack   

n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳

参考例句：

• He made a hack at the log.他朝圆木上砍了一下。
• Early settlers had to hack out a clearing in the forest where they could grow crops.早期移民不得不在森林里劈出空地种庄稼。

3 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

4 cerebral   

adj.脑的，大脑的；有智力的，理智型的

参考例句：

• Your left cerebral hemisphere controls the right-hand side of your body.你的左半脑控制身体的右半身。
• He is a precise,methodical,cerebral man who carefully chooses his words.他是一个一丝不苟、有条理和理智的人，措辞谨慎。

5 pregnancies   

怀孕，妊娠( pregnancy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Since the wartime population needed replenishment, pregnancies were a good sign. 最后一桩倒不失为好现象，战时人口正该补充。
• She's had three pregnancies in four years. 她在四年中怀孕叁次。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 watchful   

adj.注意的，警惕的

参考例句：

• The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
• It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。