Ryan MA, Murray DM, Dempsey EM, Mathieson SR, Livingstone V, Boylan GB. Neurodevelopmental outcome of low-risk moderate to late preterm infants at 18 months.
Front Pediatr 2023;
11:1256872. [PMID:
38098644 PMCID:
PMC10720582 DOI:
10.3389/fped.2023.1256872]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background
Of the 15 million preterm births that occur worldwide each year, approximately 80% occur between 32 and 36 + 6 weeks gestational age (GA) and are defined as moderate to late preterm (MLP) infants. This percentage substantiates a need for a better understanding of the neurodevelopmental outcome of this group.
Aim
To describe neurodevelopmental outcome at 18 months in a cohort of healthy low-risk MLP infants admitted to the neonatal unit at birth and to compare the neurodevelopmental outcome to that of a healthy term-born infant group.
Study design and method
This single-centre observational study compared the neurodevelopmental outcome of healthy MLP infants to a group of healthy term control (TC) infants recruited during the same period using the Griffith's III assessment at 18 months.
Results
Seventy-five MLP infants and 92 TC infants were included. MLP infants scored significantly lower in the subscales: Eye-hand coordination (C), Personal, Social and Emotional Development (D), Gross Motor Development (E) and General Developmental (GD) (p < 0.001 for each) and Foundations of Learning (A), (p = 0.004) in comparison to the TC infant group with Cohen's d effect sizes ranging from 0.460 to 0.665. There was no statistically significant difference in mean scores achieved in subscale B: Language and Communication between groups (p = 0.107).
Conclusion
MLP infants are at risk of suboptimal neurodevelopmental outcomes. Greater surveillance of the neurodevelopmental trajectory of this group of at-risk preterm infants is required.
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