Baby girls born very prematurely grow to be a few centimetres shorter on average as adults, a new study suggests, and scientists do not know why.

Can being premature affect your height?

Compared with women who were born at term, those who were born very preterm had 2.9 times higher odds of short stature (<155.4 cm), and those born moderately preterm had 1.43 times higher odds.

Does being premature affect you later in life?

Babies born prematurely may have more health problems at birth and later in life than babies born later. Premature babies can have long-term intellectual and developmental disabilities and problems with their lungs, brain, eyes and other organs.