Preterm babies are babies born before 37 weeks of gestation. Each year there are 15 million babies born prematurely. Prematurely born children are sometimes more susceptible to learning disabilities than a child born full term. Children born early are often late to talk, and sometimes cannot understand or comprehend what they hear. Assuming that prematurely born children could be born with a learning disability over a child who was born at full gestation, this might affect their learning abilities later in life. A study conducted at the University of Warwick predicts how a toddler who was born at full gestation vs. a toddler born early will perform academically when they are 8, all by using a raisin.

The study looks at the self control the child possesses, and correlates it to how successful they will be academically. In the study, the toddlers are given a raisin placed under an opaque cup and told to not touch until 60 seconds had passed; then they could eat the raisin. The study found that toddlers who were born prematurely were more likely to take the raisin before 60 seconds had elapsed. This is called the Bavarian Longitudinal Study which began in Germany in 1985. 558 children who were born at 25-41 weeks gestation were tested at 20 months on how much self control they possessed. By using such a large group of toddlers, the credibility of the study is increased because there should be less bias or possibility for error. Then after the testing was complete, they split up the data into groups of prematurely born toddlers and toddlers born at full gestation. The data was consistent with premature toddlers not having as much self-control. Once that group of children turned 8, they were evaluated by psychologists and pediatricians. By using the same group of children, it keeps the data consistent and leaves little room for error. By using standardized tests, the children were judged on mathematics, reading, and spelling/writing. The findings were consistent with the toddlers who could not wait 60 seconds to touch the raisin, and lower standardized test scores at age 8.

So, the children born early were less likely to show self control as a toddler, and are more likely to show lower academic achievement at 8 years old. This does not mean that every single baby born at a lower gestational age will achieve lower academic scores than a child born at a normal gestational age, but the findings are consistent with the beginning hypothesis. This discovery can be used to aid in the findings of cognitive issues early in a child’s life which will ultimately help them in the long run. Finding issues sooner rather than later will make it easier to develop ways in which learning can become more effective in fitting their needs.