Premature birth 'can increase risk of illness'
There is evidence that being born prematurely can lead to a greater risk of developing a range of illnesses in later life, it has been claimed.
According to Dr Rebecca Jones, from Tommy's Manchester research centre at St Mary's Hospital, there is currently a lot of work being done which examines the long-term problems associated with premature birth.
However, she added that presently, health professionals know more about the short term difficulties that can be experienced.
She explained that there is a risk that premature babies may be born with underdeveloped lungs or brains, in addition to other problems.
"However, there is evidence that being born small or prematurely increases the risk of the baby developing illnesses when they are an adult. These include cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity," she continued.
Dr Jones called for a greater commitment to research to understand the risks and causes of such problems.
Such news may be of interest to those who are looking for family health insurance.
According to Tommy's, which provides funding for the medical study of prematurity, 8.6 per cent of live births were born early in 2006/7.
Prior to these results, this proportion had remained static at around seven per cent for 15 years. 
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