A NEW test could identify premature babies most at risk of developing learning disabilities, London scientists said today.

Half of all babies who survive after being born very early go on to develop a disability or learning difficulty.

Researchers at Imperial College now hope to develop a test for the 10 per cent of babies born prematurely each year to identify those most at risk.

The team found that infants with less brain surface development at birth had poorer mental skills by the age of two.

If the results are confirmed in future studies, the researchers say it might be possible to use brain scans to identify which children might need development support and even trial treatments.

"Now we know what we are looking for, we can try a treatment," said Dr David Edwards, who led the study. "We are going to look at using melatonin, which is a powerful neuroprotector."

The surface of the brain, or cortex, should change from looking like a coffee bean to looking like a walnut in the womb. But in premature babies, that development needs to take place after birth.

The study used MRI scans to measure the brain growth of 113 babies born between 22 and 29 weeks gestation - a baby is normally born at 40 weeks. The babies were scanned up to the point when they would have been eight weeks old if born full-term.

The mental development of 63 of these children was then assessed when they were aged about two.

The research showed that the slower the rate of growth of brain surface area and the smoother it was compared to brain volume, the more likely it was for a child's development to be delayed. The most premature babies, and boys, were more likely to be affected.

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