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Gestational age and developmental risk in moderately and late preterm and early term infants

Luisa Schonhaut1, Iván Armijo2, Marcela Pérez3

  • 1Departmento de Pediatria, Clínica Alemana, Santiago, Chile; Facultad de Medicina, Clinica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile; and lschonhaut@alemana.cl.

Pediatrics
|March 4, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Infants born earlier, even late preterm, face a higher risk of developmental delay. This risk increases with lower gestational age (GA), highlighting the need for early interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Biology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Gestational age (GA) at birth is a critical factor influencing infant development.
  • Developmental delay can have long-term consequences for children's health and well-being.
  • Early identification and intervention are crucial for mitigating developmental risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between gestational age (GA) at birth and the risk of developmental delay.
  • To assess this risk at 8 and 18 months of corrected postnatal age.
  • To identify specific GA ranges associated with increased developmental delay risk.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 1667 infants in Santiago, Chile, was studied from 2008 to 2011.
  • The Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) assessed developmental milestones at 8 and 18 months corrected age.
  • Logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between GA and developmental delay risk, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

  • An inverse dose-response relationship was observed between GA and developmental delay risk.
  • Infants born early term (OR 1.56), late preterm (OR 2.58), and moderately preterm (OR 3.01) had significantly higher odds of developmental delay compared to full-term infants.
  • The risk of developmental delay increased as GA decreased.

Conclusions:

  • A clear association exists between lower gestational age and increased risk of developmental delay.
  • Moderately and late preterm infants face a substantially elevated risk.
  • Further research is needed to determine if this risk is transient or persistent, informing targeted early intervention strategies.
Abstract

Keywords:
Ages and Stages Questionnairesdevelopmental delaydevelopmental screeningearly terminfantlate pretermlow birth weightmoderately preterm

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