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Late preterm birth is associated with short-term morbidity but not with adverse neurodevelopmental and physical

Alice Hughes1, Gorm Greisen, Joan-Carles Arce

  • 1University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.

Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica
|October 17, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Late preterm birth before 37 weeks in women with threatened preterm labor did not impact one-year neurodevelopmental or physical outcomes, despite increased short-term infant morbidity.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Perinatology

Background:

  • Threatened late preterm labor presents risks for both mother and infant.
  • Early delivery in threatened preterm labor can lead to neonatal complications.
  • Long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of late preterm infants require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare neonatal and infant outcomes at one year in babies delivered before 37 weeks versus those born at term from mothers experiencing threatened late preterm labor.
  • To assess the impact of late preterm birth on neurodevelopmental and physical growth at one year of age.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study comparing babies born before 37 weeks (n=63) to those born at term (n=100) from women admitted with threatened late preterm labor (34-35(+6) weeks) and a cervix ≤15 mm.
  • Infant outcomes assessed at one year included Bayley mental and psychomotor development indices and physical growth.
  • Infants were part of a clinical trial investigating the tocolytic effect of barusiban.

Main Results:

  • Babies born late preterm (34-36(+6) weeks) showed a significantly increased risk of short-term morbidity, including hepatobiliary, respiratory, metabolic, nervous system disorders, and infection (p < 0.05).
  • No significant differences were observed in neurodevelopmental outcomes (Bayley scores) at one year between the late preterm and term groups (p > 0.05).
  • Physical growth at one year also showed no significant differences between the two groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

  • While late preterm birth is associated with increased short-term infant morbidity, it does not appear to negatively affect neurodevelopmental or physical outcomes at one year of age.
  • These findings suggest a potential for catch-up growth and development in late preterm infants.
  • Further research may explore specific interventions to mitigate short-term morbidities without compromising long-term development.

Keywords:
Preterm birthlong-term outcomesneonatologyshort-term outcomestocolysis

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