Does being born early impact our ability to control our emotions? And why does it matter?

Every year, thirteen million babies are born early (before the usual 9 months of pregnancy). In our research, we want to find out what happens to these babies’ brains when they grow up. To answer this question, we use high-resolution brain scans which are like magical special cameras that let us take detailed photos inside the brain, then we compare the brains of children born preterm to those born at term (9 months). We also ask the children and parents questions about their development. <br/>Our work shows that the limbic system, an important part of our brain for feelings and emotions, develops slightly differently following preterm birth. We believe these differences could explain why term born children often find it easier to control their emotions than preterm children. We also believe these differences could help us to understand why term born children may be at less risk of developing mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, than preterm children when they grow up. In this article, we will discuss the differences we found, the impact they might have and how we can use these differences to improve mental health in vulnerable children. <br/>