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Study co-author Dr. Jeremy Marks of the University of Chicago Medical Center and colleagues said that the study extends the research of babies born prematurely with immature lungs that the University of Chicago researchers began in 2000.

The researchers collected follow-up data on 137 of 167 of the patients born prematurely with respiratory distress syndrome.

The researchers used assessments of each child's understanding of basic concepts, perceptual skills, vocabulary, functional skills and any sensory impairments to assign a school-readiness score.

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found advances in neonatal care enable two-thirds of premature babies born with respiratory problems to be ready for school at an appropriate age, but those living in poverty are far less likely to be ready on time than their better-off peers -- preemies born in poverty were four times less likely ready for school.

"The good news is premature babies are surviving", Marks said in a statement. "The bad news is poverty leads to huge disparities in school readiness, with poor kids faring four times worse than others."

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