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Antenatal and postnatal growth and 5-year cognitive outcome in very preterm infants

Marika Leppänen1, Helena Lapinleimu, Annika Lind

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Turku University Hospital, Kiinamyllynkatu 4-8, PO Box 52, 20521, Turku, Finland. marika.leppanen@utu.fi.

Pediatrics
|December 18, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Infant growth, particularly head circumference and weight, positively impacts cognitive development in very preterm infants. Specific growth periods are critical for cognitive outcomes in both small for gestational age (SGA) and non-SGA infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatalogy
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Pediatric Neurology

Background:

  • Very preterm infants face developmental challenges.
  • Antenatal growth influences postnatal development and cognitive outcomes.
  • Small for gestational age (SGA) and non-SGA infants exhibit different growth patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of antenatal growth on cognitive outcomes in very preterm infants.
  • To identify critical growth periods between birth and 5 years associated with cognitive development.
  • To analyze growth-cognition associations separately for SGA and non-SGA infants.

Main Methods:

  • Followed 181 very preterm infants (<32 weeks gestation or <1501g birth weight).
  • Measured weight, length, and head circumference (HC) at 9 time points up to 5 years.
  • Assessed cognitive development at 5 years using Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI-R).

Main Results:

  • Head circumference (HC) and weight growth between birth and 2 years correlated with cognitive outcome in non-SGA infants.
  • HC growth around term age correlated with cognitive outcome in SGA infants.
  • No association was found between length/height growth and cognitive outcome.

Conclusions:

  • Cognitive outcomes were similar between SGA and non-SGA very preterm infants.
  • Infant growth positively influences cognitive development in both SGA and non-SGA subgroups.
  • The critical time periods for growth's impact on cognition differ between SGA and non-SGA infants.
Abstract

Keywords:
cognitive developmentgrowthpreterm infants

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