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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Psychopathology among preterm infants using the Diagnostic Classification Zero to Three
A Janssens1, K Uvin, H Van Impe
1Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. astrid.janssens@ua.ac.be
Aim:
To compare the prevalence of psychopathology in infants born preterm with matched full-term infants at the corrected age of 1 year.
Methods:
Between June 2003 and April 2005, a case-control longitudinal cohort study was conducted at the neonatal unit of the University Hospital of Antwerp, Belgium. We prospectively enrolled 123 live-born infants between 25 and 35 weeks of gestation and/or infants with a birth-weight of <1500 g. Thirty full-term infants were recruited among day care centres in the region. Diagnoses were based on the Diagnostic Classification Zero to Three (DC: 0-3), using the MacArthur Communicative Developmental Inventory Dutch version, Infant-Toddler Sensory Profile, Bayley Scales of Infant Development II, Parent Infant Relationship Global Assessment Scale and Functional Emotional Assessment Scale.
Results:
At the (corrected) age of 12 months, 89 infants were eligible for follow-up and complete data were available for 69 (77%) infants. Fifty-four percentage of the preterm infants fulfilled one or more DC 0-3 diagnoses. Premature infants had significantly more diagnoses than full-term infants on axis I, axis III and axis V of the DC: 0-3.
Conclusion:
In this study, the prevalence of psychopathology was significantly higher among preterm infants in comparison with full-term infants. This study did not confirm previous findings of higher rates of relationship disorders among preterm infants.
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