Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Prediction of neurodevelopmental outcome after preterm birth
1Growth and Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Bea.Latal@kispi.uzh.ch
Insights
Predicting outcomes for preterm infants is challenging but crucial for care. This review examines predictors of neurodevelopmental, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes to guide interventions and counseling.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Predicting outcomes for preterm infants is critical but difficult, especially in the early postnatal period.
- Accurate prediction aids parental counseling and identifies infants for early therapeutic strategies to prevent or mitigate cerebral injury.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the spectrum and severity of neurodevelopmental, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes in preterm infants.
- To discuss clinical, electrophysiological, and imaging predictors of these outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of predictors for neurodevelopmental, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes in preterm infants.
- Analysis of clinical, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging data as predictive tools.
Main Results:
- Detailed neurologic examination is valuable for predicting moderate to severe neurodevelopmental impairments but limited in the immediate newborn period.
- Electrophysiological, neuroimaging, and clinical risk factors for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes have been identified.
- Prediction is generally good for major early childhood disabilities but poorer for moderate or mild long-term outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Future research should investigate long-term quality of life, academic achievement, and sociocultural influences.
- Genetic diversity should be further studied as a factor influencing outcome variability in preterm infants.
Abstract:
Prediction of outcome after preterm birth is critical, but remains difficult, particularly in the early postnatal period. The ability to predict outcome improves parental counseling and selection of infants for early therapeutic strategies aiming at preventing or ameliorating cerebral injury. This review gives an overview of the spectrum and severity of neurodevelopmental, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes, with discussion of predictors of outcome and, in particular, the clinical, electrophysiological, and imaging predictors. A detailed neurologic examination of infants is a valuable predictive tool in terms of later moderate to severe neurodevelopmental impairments; however, it may be limited in the immediate newborn period. Electrophysiological, neuroimaging, and clinical risk factors for adverse neurodevelopmental outcome have been identified. Good prediction is usually achieved for major functional disabilities in early childhood, but is poorer for moderate or mild long-term outcome. Future research should focus on the long-term quality of life, academic achievement, and the influence of the sociocultural environment. More emphasis should be placed on genetic diversity as a modifying factor for the large variability in outcome.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Neurulation
01:07Teratogenicity