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[The course of physical development of children born premature]
Insights
Preterm children born between 30-37 weeks gestation exhibit distinct physical development patterns compared to full-term infants. These differences diminish with age, showing a reduced impact of risk factors over time.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Human Development
- Child Health
Context:
- Evaluating physical development in preterm children (30-37 weeks gestation).
- Comparing preterm children (small-for-date and appropriate-for-gestational-age) with a full-term control group.
- Assessing development across infancy, preschool, and school ages.
Purpose:
- To characterize the physical health status of preterm children at different developmental stages.
- To identify unique structural and dynamic features in preterm children's physical development.
- To compare these features against age- and sex-matched full-term controls.
Summary:
- Preterm children display specific physical development characteristics differing from full-term controls.
- These developmental patterns persist through infancy, preschool, and school ages.
- The influence of medical and psychosocial risk factors on physical development lessens as preterm children age.
Impact:
- Provides insights into the long-term physical outcomes for preterm populations.
- Highlights the importance of continued monitoring of preterm children's growth and development.
- Informs potential interventions and support strategies for this demographic.
Abstract:
Physical development of 474 preterm (born at 30-37 weeks) children was evaluated in infancy (n = 157), preschool (n = 154), and school (n = 163) age. Small-for-date children and children corresponding to their gestation age were retrospectively distinguished. Control group consisted of 474 age and sex-matched children born after full-term gestation. Physical health status of preterm children of early, preschool, and school age is characterized by specific structural and dynamic features, qualitatively and quantitatively differing from the values in full-term controls. With aging, the effect of medical psychosocial risk factors on physical development decreases.