Being Born Early Can Affect the Way We Control Our Emotions

Every year, 13 million babies are born before the usual 9 months of pregnancy. To understand what happens to these babies’ brains when they grow up, we used powerful brain scans to take detailed photos of the brain, and we compared the brains of children born early to those born at 9 months. We also studied the development of these children. We found that a part of the brain important for feelings and emotions, develops slightly differently in babies born early. These differences could explain why children born early may have more difficulty controlling their emotions. Brain differences could also explain why children born at 9 months may be less likely to develop anxiety and depression in later life. In this article, we will discuss the study findings, the impacts they might have, and how we can use this information to improve mental health in vulnerable children.