We know that babies born pre-term might be at risk for developmental problems, but now new research shows that babies born just two weeks early could have problems too. The study published in Pediatrics, “Academic Achievement Varies With Gestational Age Among Children Born at Term,” showed that full-term babies do better on math and reading tests.

Researchers analyzed over 128,000 babies born between 37 and 41 weeks gestation in New York City in the late 1980s and early 1990s. When the children took their 3rd grade math and reading tests, researchers found that scores for children born at 37 and 38 weeks were lower than the kids born at 39, 40 or 41 weeks. They found that children born at 37 weeks had a 23 percent increased risk of having a reading impairment and children born at 38 weeks had a 13 percent increased risk, as opposed to those born at 41 weeks. Plus, math scores were lower for these children as well.

Experts believe that because baby’s brain has substantial growth during the last weeks of gestation, an early birth can disrupt that development. Of course, most women can’t control when they give birth, so this shouldn’t freak you out too much. But for women who are electing to have c-sections or inductions (and it’s not an emergency), this new research might make them want to wait a few more weeks.

Do you think full-term babies could be smarter? When was your baby born?

Plus, more from The Bump:

Baby Milestones

Make Baby Smarter Before Birth

Preterm Labor

I’ve wondered since the day they were born why my two kids are so different. My son Nathan, who is extraordinary in many ways, was also born intense, brooding and pessimistic (see above pic of him with his best friend – it tells all). My daughter Sophia, born just 2 years later, was all joyful smiles, giving, and optimistic from day one. Yes, I was slightly (okay, significantly) more neurotic during his babyhood than hers, but I’ve always sworn they’re just built differently. It irks Nathan deeply to have such a happy-go-lucky sister (“why are you so HAPPY all the time?!”); it’s almost like he even knows this about himself.

Turns out, there is science to support this theory. A recent study, led by psychologist Michel Poulin of the University of Buffalo, found there are particular genotypes inherited by parents that create either a “nice” receptor or a “not nice” receptor for the two hormones that create feelings of love and generosity — oxytocin and vasopressin.

The study surveyed 711 people who provided saliva for DNA analysis. They were asked questions about their outlook on the world, their charitable activities, and how threatening they found the world to be. Those who had a negative view of other people and the world were still able to be nice and charitable as long as they had the “nicer” receptor gene.

This new study backs up findings of research done last year by scientists at the University of Edinburgh that showed identical twins (sharing 100% of their genes) were very similar in their generosity and world outlooks, versus fraternal twins (who shared 50% of their genes) who had very different outlooks (clearly both sets had the same parenting).

Fortunately, the genes work in combination with how a kid is raised, so all hope is not lost for my brooding boy (yikes, the pressure is on)!

Plus, more from The Bump:

Personality Traits of 2012 Babies

What Baby’s Sign Could Mean for Her Personality

15 Ways to Deal With a Fussy Baby

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a new study which estimates that 1 in 88 children in the U.S. are identified with having an austim spectrum disorder, up 23% in 8 year olds since the last report in 2009. The study looked at data from 14 communities — findings ranged from 1 in 210 children in Alabama to 1 in 47 children in Utah. And according to the report, the largest increases in cases were among Hispanic and African American children.

CDC director, Thomas Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., said in a press release, “One thing the data tells us with certainty – there are more children and families that need help. We must continue to track autism spectrum disorders because this is the information communities need to guide improvements in services to help children.”

Researchers found that more children are being diagnosed by three years old — an increase from 12 percent for children born in 1994 to 18 percent for children born in 2000. 40 percent of children in the current study weren’t diagnosed until four years old.

The CDC recommends that parents monitor their child’s behavior and act quickly whenever there is a concern about their baby’s development – by talking to your child’s pediatrician, calling a local early intervention program for assessment and keeping in mind that parents don’t need an official diagnosis to access help.

What do you think of these new statistics?

Might want to avoid walking on busy streets and hanging out with smokers, mama-to-be. A new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, has found that exposure during pregnancy to air pollutants classified as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) can lead to behavioral problems in baby as he gets older. PAH is a widespread organic pollutant and can be found in emissions from wood, coal, diesel, tobacco and incense. Researchers from the Center for Children’s Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health followed the children of 253 inner-city women who gave birth between 1999 and 2006. According to researchers, there are two signs of PAH exposure: by taking a personal air sampling from the mother during her third trimester and by measuring the levels in mom’s blood and the newborn’s umbilical cord blood. If PAH is inhaled during pregnancy, it can be transferred across the placenta and bind to the DNA of the fetus.

The mothers then completed an assessment of their child’s behavior. It was found that babies whose moms had evidence of exposure to very high levels of PAH were more likely to have symptoms of anxiety, depression and attention problems. In this study, traffic emissions were the main source of pollutants in the study — 100% of the mothers in the study had some exposure to the pollution. None of the moms in the study were smokers and researchers took second hand smoking and the moms’ diets into account.

Are you worried about pollution affecting your baby? What are some things you do to get fresh air?

How you respond to your child’s calls for attention will affect how eager they are to collaborate and learn. According to a new study in the journal Child Development, researchers found that toddlers whose parents responded positively to their attention-seeking behaviors were more eager to collaborate and socialize. In the study, the parent and the child were in the same room and the parent had to fill out a long survey that required a lot of attention and focus, while toddlers tried to engage their parents. In the second part of the study, the child had to watch her parent perform a series of actions and try to imitate them. Researchers found that toddlers who showed positive attention-seeking behaviors (like pointing and sharing objects or laughing and smiling while talking to their parent, rather than crying or screaming) collaborated more with their parent to finish the task.

Researchers note that it’s important to encourage positive and high-quality attention-seeking in toddlers – which means actively engaging with them. The toddlers who seek attention in a positive manner are more likely to learn in an interactive and social way.

What do you think of this study? Do you think you pay enough attention to your child?