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Differentiating the cognitive development of early-term births in infants and toddlers: a cross-sectional study in

Jing Hua1, Jie Sun1, Zhijuan Cao1

  • 1The Women and Children's Health Care Department, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

BMJ Open
|April 13, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Infants born at 37 weeks gestation showed lower cognitive scores than full-term babies. Early-term birth at 37 weeks may impact infant cognitive development, warranting close monitoring.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neonatal Studies
  • Pediatric Health

Background:

  • Early-term birth (37-38 weeks gestation) is increasingly common.
  • Cognitive development in early childhood is crucial for long-term outcomes.
  • Limited research exists on the cognitive impact of early-term birth in low-risk populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cognitive development of infants born at 37 and 38 weeks gestation compared to full-term infants (39-41 weeks).
  • To identify potential differences in cognitive abilities associated with early-term birth.
  • To inform clinical monitoring practices for early-term infants.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 1444 children from singleton pregnancies in China.
  • Cognitive outcomes assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III).
  • Multivariate linear modeling used to analyze the association between gestational age and cognitive development, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

  • Infants born at 37 weeks gestation had significantly lower cognitive scores than those born at 39-41 weeks (p<0.05).
  • No significant cognitive differences were observed for infants born at 38 weeks gestation compared to full-term infants (p>0.05).
  • These cognitive effects were not significant in toddlers (17-48 months) after adjustment for confounders.

Conclusions:

  • Infants born at 37 weeks gestation demonstrate weaker cognitive ability compared to full-term infants.
  • Findings suggest close monitoring for developmental issues in early-term infants, particularly those born at 37 weeks gestation.
  • Further research is needed to understand the long-term cognitive trajectories of early-term born children.
Abstract

Keywords:
Chinacognitive developmentearly terminfants and toddlers

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