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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
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Cognitive trajectories from infancy to early adulthood following birth before 26 weeks of gestation: a prospective,

Louise Linsell1, Samantha Johnson2, Dieter Wolke3

  • 1National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU), Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|November 18, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Extremely preterm individuals show significantly lower cognitive scores than term-born peers throughout development. Cognitive function in preterm children does not improve substantially, indicating early scores predict later outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Extremely preterm birth (<26 weeks gestation) poses risks for neurodevelopmental outcomes.
  • Longitudinal cognitive trajectories in this population are not well-established.
  • Understanding cognitive development from infancy to adulthood is crucial for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare cognitive test score trajectories from infancy to adulthood in extremely preterm versus term-born individuals.
  • To identify factors influencing cognitive development in extremely preterm survivors.
  • To determine if cognitive function shows recovery or deterioration over time.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective, population-based cohort study involving 315 extremely preterm infants and 160 term-born controls.
  • Cognitive assessments at ages 2.5, 6/11, and 19 years using standardized tests (Bayley Scales, Kaufman Assessment Battery, Wechsler Abbreviated Scale).
  • Analysis of cognitive score differences, trajectories, and impact of factors like sex, maternal education, neonatal brain injury, and gestational age.

Main Results:

  • Extremely preterm individuals scored an average of 25.2 points lower than term-born peers across all assessments.
  • Cognitive scores remained significantly lower in preterm individuals at every age point.
  • Higher maternal education was associated with higher scores; neonatal brain injury and earlier gestational age (<25 weeks) were linked to lower scores.

Conclusions:

  • Cognitive function in extremely preterm individuals does not show significant recovery or deterioration from infancy to adulthood.
  • Infancy and early childhood cognitive test scores are indicative of early adult outcomes.
  • Early cognitive assessments can inform long-term prognosis for extremely preterm survivors.
Abstract

Keywords:
epidemiologyneonatologyneurodevelopment

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