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Updated: May 23, 2026
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
Compared outcomes of very preterm infants born in 2000 and 2005
Anne-Marie Guerrot1, Alexandra Chadie, Stéphanie Torre
1Department of Neonatal Medicine, Rouen University Hospital and EA Neovasc, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, School of Medicine, Rouen University, France.
Insights
Outcomes for very premature infants improved between 2000 and 2005, with fewer motor impairments at age 2. Neonatal care also saw reduced postnatal corticosteroid use and smaller head circumferences in infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Pediatric Neurology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Very preterm infants face significant risks for adverse neonatal and long-term developmental outcomes.
- Advances in neonatal intensive care aim to improve survival and reduce morbidities in this vulnerable population.
- Comparing outcomes across different time periods can reveal trends and the impact of evolving medical practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare neonatal and 2-year developmental outcomes in very preterm infants born in 2000 versus 2005.
- To assess changes in the incidence of motor, cognitive, neurosensory, and behavioral impairments.
- To identify trends in neonatal care, such as corticosteroid use and anthropometric measurements.
Main Methods:
- A prospective observational study was conducted in France.
- Infants born before 33 weeks' gestation and admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit in 2000 or 2005 were included.
- Data on perinatal factors and 2-year developmental outcomes (motor, cognitive, neurosensory, behavioral) were collected.
Main Results:
- 170 infants were included from 2000 and 173 from 2005.
- Neonatal outcomes showed decreased postnatal corticosteroid use and a lower percentage of infants with head circumference below the 3rd percentile at days 7 and 30.
- At 2 years, the overall rate of motor disabilities decreased from 30% to 18%, with mild motor disabilities dropping from 24% to 12%. Cerebral palsy rates remained stable at 6%.
Conclusions:
- Motor impairments in very preterm children significantly diminished between 2000 and 2005, although cerebral palsy rates did not change.
- Improvements in neonatal care were evidenced by reduced postnatal corticosteroid use and a decrease in neonates with small head circumferences.
- Cognitive, behavioral, and neurosensory impairments remained similar between the two cohorts.
Aim:
To compare neonatal and 2-year outcomes in very premature infants born 5 years apart.
Methods:
Prospective observational study of infants born before 33 weeks' gestation in 2000 or 2005 admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit in France. We collected perinatal data and evaluated motor, cognitive, neurosensory and behavioural outcomes at 2 years of age.
Results:
We included 170 infants in 2000 and 173 in 2005. The significant differences in neonatal outcomes were decreases in postnatal corticosteroid use and in percentage of infants with head circumference below the 3rd percentile on days 7 (25% vs. 13%) and 30 (30% vs. 17%). At 2 years of age, rates of follow-up were 87% in 2000 and 94% in 2005. The cerebral palsy rate was 6% in both cohorts. The overall rate of motor disabilities diminished from 30% (41/137) to 18% (26/142), and the rate of mild motor disabilities decreased from 24% to 12%. Rates of cognitive, behavioural and neurosensorial impairments were similar.
Conclusion:
Between 2000 and 2005, motor impairments at 2 years of age diminished in very preterm children (but not cerebral palsy rates). We observed a reduced use of postnatal corticosteroids and a decreased percentage of neonates with head circumference below the third percentile.
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