Researchers have found that there might be a three-fold risk in severe psychiatric disorder later in life for about 50,000 babies born prematurely each year in England and Wales.

An attempt was made to establish a link between later admission to psychiatric hospital and premature birth in form of a study and it was seen that there has been an increase in the number of premature births across the world and this will lead to a rise in mental ill health.

In the last three decades, there has been a 30 per cent rise in premature births and it is expected to be due to older mothers and obese mothers. All developed nations have witnessed this rise.

In every 13 babies, one is born premature and this is before 37 weeks of gestation. In Wales and England alone, 33 weeks of gestation is not completed by 8,000 babies.

Earlier research has seen that when premature babies turn four years, they develop behavioral and emotional problems and this leads to their social and intellectual development getting hampered.

Babies that are born before 32 weeks of gestation period are a three times risk of getting admitted in hospital following mental health problems when they reach the age of 16 years, as stated by researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry in London and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.