Premmie baby education research calls for teacher help

Children born more than a month before their due date may struggle at school, but more information is needed and researchers are calling for help from teachers.

Teachers are experts in the needs of children and their perceptions are crucial, PremmieEd researcher Dr Leona Pascoe told ACM.

"There is growing evidence to suggest these children are at greater risk of having trouble at school," she said.

The earlier a baby is born, the more likely they are to have problems, PremmieEd researcher Dr Simonne Collins said.

But each baby is unique, and requires different types of support, she said.

Early childhood, primary and secondary school teachers across Australia have been invited to complete a short, online survey about the learning needs and development of children born preterm.

The research is part of a project to better understand preterm-born education from the Centre of Research Excellence in Newborn Medicine at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, in partnership with Monash University's Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health.

The project has great potential to support educators in their work and foster good learning outcomes for affected children, Dr Pascoe said.

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Anna Shakeloff, mother of twins born 13 weeks early, said she appreciates supportive teachers who understand the variety of challenges preterm children may face.

"It's important that it's taken seriously, it shouldn't be dismissed," she said.

Her twins were born weighing 890 and 1,030 grams, and remained small for their age, leading to a mismatch in size with peers and some bullying.

"But we're really fortunate that our outcome today is excellent," she said.

Especially during early childhood, parents and teachers should consider the extra months in womb that preterm children have missed, Ms Shakeloff said.

And be ready to support the child as their needs become apparent, she said.

The effects of preterm birth are widespread, some children might have problems in one area and not in others, Dr Collins, from PremmieEd said.

"One child might have issues with movement, while another preterm child won't have those problems," she said.

"We're trying to understand which children will be at the greatest risk," she said.

The teacher survey takes around 15 minutes and covers topics like basic demographic information, teaching background and experience, training and information needs and existing knowledge about preterm birth.