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Developmental outcomes of late-preterm infants at 2 and 4 years
Lenna Nepomnyaschy1, Thomas Hegyi, Barbara M Ostfeld
1School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 536 George St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. lennan@ssw.rutgers.edu
Insights
Healthy late-preterm infants show subtle cognitive deficits compared to full-term infants by age 2. These early developmental differences suggest the need for timely assessments and interventions to support cognitive growth in late-preterm children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Child Psychology
- Neonatal Research
Background:
- Late-preterm birth (34-36 weeks) is common and may impact neurodevelopment.
- Previous research indicates potential long-term challenges for these infants.
- Understanding early cognitive, motor, and behavioral outcomes is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare cognitive, motor, and behavioral outcomes between healthy late-preterm and full-term infants at 2 and 4 years.
- To identify specific developmental areas where late-preterm children may differ.
- To assess the persistence and magnitude of these differences.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 18 developmental outcomes using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort.
- Comparison of healthy singleton infants born late-preterm versus full-term.
- Application of Ordinary Least Squares and logistic regression models for adjusted and unadjusted analyses.
Main Results:
- Unadjusted analyses revealed poorer cognitive performance in late-preterm children at both 2 and 4 years.
- After adjustments, late-preterm children showed lower scores in language (2 years) and literacy, language, and math (4 years).
- Only one outcome was more than one standard deviation below the mean for late-preterm children.
Conclusions:
- Late-preterm birth is associated with subtle cognitive deficits emerging by age 2 years.
- While differences may not be clinically significant, they indicate a trend toward poorer outcomes.
- Early screening and intervention may be beneficial for enhancing cognitive development in late-preterm infants.
Abstract:
This study compared healthy late-preterm (34-36 week) and healthy full-term (37-41 week) singleton infants on a range of cognitive, motor, and behavioral outcomes at 2 and 4 years. Eighteen developmental outcomes were analyzed using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort, a nationally representative panel study. Ordinary Least Squares and logistic regressions were performed to estimate unadjusted and adjusted differences in developmental outcomes between late-preterm and full-term children. In unadjusted models, late-preterm children scored more poorly than full-term children on most assessments of cognitive ability at 2 and 4 years. After adjusting for demographic, economic, and obstetrical factors, late-preterm children continued to score lower than full-term children on language use at 2 years and on literacy, language, and math at 4 years, but scored at least one standard deviation below the mean on only one of the eighteen outcomes. Late-preterm birth is associated with subtle deficits in cognitive functioning as early as age 2 years. Although the effects may be too small to have clinical relevance, they suggest a trend toward poorer outcomes that have been documented at older ages and suggest that early testing and intervention may enhance the cognitive development of late-preterm children.
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