The ability of Bayley-III scores to predict later intelligence in children born extremely preterm

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Extremely preterm birth (<27 weeks gestation) poses risks for cognitive development.
• Early developmental assessments are crucial for identifying potential learning difficulties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the predictive accuracy of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition (Bayley-III) for later cognitive function.
• To determine if Bayley-III scores can predict intelligence quotient (IQ) measured by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) in extremely preterm children.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 323 extremely preterm children were assessed.
• Bayley-III was administered at 2.5 years corrected age, and WISC-IV at 6.5 years.
• Regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to assess prediction accuracy.

Main Results:

• Bayley-III Cognitive Index scores showed a moderate positive correlation with WISC-IV IQ, explaining 38% of the variance.
• A Bayley-III cut-off score of 85 demonstrated 44% sensitivity and a 7% false positive rate for identifying low IQ.
• A cut-off of 70 had 18% sensitivity and 7% false positives.

Conclusions:

• Bayley-III Cognitive Index scores are important predictors of later IQ in extremely preterm children.
• A Bayley-III cut-off score of 85 is supported for identifying children at risk of subnormal IQ.
• Balancing sensitivity and false positive rates is critical for accurate early identification.