Prognosis

The population-based study carried out by MacKay and colleagues in a very large (362 688 children) population-based sample replicates previous similar fi ndings1 2 that the odds of special educational need (SEN) are highest for those born at 24–27-week gestation (univariate OR 9.14, 95 % CI 7.53 to 11.18) and increased for those born at 28–32 weeks (OR 3.21, 95 % CI 2.90 to 3.57) and 33–36 weeks (OR 1.67, 95 % CI 1.57 to 1.78). The study is unique, however, in that it also looked at the risk for SEN for those children born at early term (37- to 39-week gestation). They also had a 9 % (39 weeks gestation) to 43 % (37 weeks) excess odds of SEN indicating a dose-effect across the whole gestation range. Although preterm chil-dren are at highest risk, they made up only a small proportion of those born (5.1%) and only 3.5 % o