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Early psychomotor development of low-risk preterm infants: Influence of gestational age and gender
Domenico M Romeo1, Claudia Brogna2, Francesca Sini1
1Pediatric Neurology Unit, Catholic University Rome, Italy.
Insights
Neurodevelopmental differences are evident in preterm infants compared to term-born infants, with females showing better outcomes in some areas. Gestational age and gender significantly impact infant development up to two years.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neonatology
Background:
- Gestational age and infant gender's role in neurodevelopment remains unclear.
- Early neurodevelopmental trajectories require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify early neurodevelopmental differences between very preterm, late preterm, and term-born infants.
- To explore the influence of gender on infant neurodevelopment in early life.
Main Methods:
- 188 low-risk infants (69 very preterm, 71 late preterm, 48 term) were assessed.
- Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) used at 3, 6, 9, 12 months corrected age.
- Mental Developmental Index (MDI) of Bayley Scales administered at two years.
Main Results:
- Very preterm and late preterm infants scored significantly lower on HINE than term infants (p < 0.001).
- Lower MDI scores were observed in very preterm infants compared to late preterm and term infants (p < 0.01).
- Females demonstrated superior neurodevelopmental performances among preterm infants.
Conclusions:
- Gestational age significantly influences infant neurodevelopment.
- Gender-dependent differences are present in infant development up to two years.
- Early identification of neurodevelopmental variations is crucial.
Background:
The influence of gestational age and gender in the neurodevelopment of infants during the first year of age is not yet fully elucidated.
Aims:
The purpose of this study was to identify the early occurrence of neurodevelopmental differences, between very preterm, late preterm and term born infants and the possible influence of the gender on the neurodevelopment in early infancy.
Methods:
A total of 188 low-risk infants, 69 very preterms, 71 late-preterms, and 48 term infants were assessed at 3, 6, 9, 12 months corrected age using the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE). At two years of age infants performed the Mental Developmental Index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development.
Results:
The main results indicate that both very preterms and late-preterms showed significant lower global scores than term born infants at each evaluation (p < 0.001) at HINE and namely, at 3 months for the subsections "cranial nerve" and "posture" and at every age for "tone"; no gender differences has been evidenced in neurological performances. At the MDI, very preterms showed significant lower scores (p < 0.01) than both late-preterm and term born infants; gender differences were observed for preterms only (very and late), with best performances for females.
Conclusions:
Our results point out the presence of gestational age and gender-dependent differences in the development of infants assessed during the first 2 years of life.
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