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Published on: November 20, 2015
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Impact of prematurity on neurodevelopment
Fabrice Wallois1, Laura Routier1, Emilie Bourel-Ponchel1
1Research Group on Multimodal Analysis of Brain Function, Jules Verne Picardie University, Amiens, France; Department of Pediatric Functional Exploration of the Nervous System, University Hospital, Picardie, Amiens, France.
Handbook of Clinical Neurology
|September 22, 2020
Summary
Prematurity significantly impacts brain development, affecting motor, sensory, and cognitive functions. These effects on neural networks can lead to lasting learning impairments in premature infants.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Prematurity, defined as birth between 22 and 36 weeks of gestation, involves dynamic physiological, structural, and functional maturation processes.
- These developmental processes are influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
- Disruptions during this critical period can impact the development of immature neural networks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the neurodevelopmental, structural, and functional processes occurring during gestation.
- To describe the impact of prematurity on various brain functions, including motor, sensory, and cognitive domains.
Main Methods:
- Review of neurodevelopmental, structural, and functional processes in preterm infants.
- Non-exhaustive description of the effects of prematurity on brain functions.
Main Results:
- Prematurity has diverse and significant consequences on brain functional development.
- Impairments in learning skills progress are a likely outcome.
- The severity of impact depends on the initial structural or functional alterations.
Conclusions:
- Disturbances in the fine-tuning of developmental processes in premature infants can lead to lasting neurodevelopmental deficits.
- Understanding these impacts is crucial for supporting the development of children born prematurely.
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