Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 23, 2025
Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats
Published on: November 20, 2015
Impact of Preterm Birth on Neurodevelopmental Disorders in South Korea: A Nationwide Population-Based Study
Jong Ho Cha1, Ja-Hye Ahn1, Yun Jin Kim2
1Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University Hospital, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul 04763, Korea.
Insights
Preterm birth significantly increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in infants. The risk escalates with greater prematurity, with extremely preterm infants facing the highest risk of NDDs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Public Health
Background:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in preterm infants are a growing concern.
- Understanding the long-term impact of prematurity on child development is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between preterm birth and the risk of NDDs.
- To analyze the impact of varying degrees of prematurity on specific NDDs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized nationwide Korean National Health Insurance Service data.
- Included extremely preterm/extremely low-birth-weight (EP/ELBW), other preterm/low-birth-weight (OP/LBW), and full-term infants.
- Assessed neurodevelopmental outcomes until age 6 or 2019 using ICD-10 criteria and multivariable logistic regression.
Main Results:
- A dose-response relationship was observed between prematurity and NDD risk.
- OP/LBW infants had a 4.46 times higher risk of NDDs compared to full-term infants.
- EP/ELBW infants had a 16.15 times higher risk of NDDs, with strong associations for developmental delay, cerebral palsy, and autism spectrum disorder.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth significantly increases the risk of NDDs.
- The risk of NDDs increases proportionally with the degree of prematurity.
- EP/ELBW infants are at substantially higher risk for multiple NDDs, necessitating targeted developmental surveillance.
Abstract:
Neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) in preterm infants has become of great interest. We aimed to investigate the impact of preterm birth on the proportion of NDD using nationwide data provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service. We included 4894 extremely preterm or extremely low-birth-weight (EP/ELBW; <28 weeks of gestation or birth weight < 1000 g) infants, 70,583 other preterm or low-birth-weight (OP/LBW; 28−36 weeks of gestation or birth weight < 2500 g) infants, and 264,057 full-term infants born between 2008 and 2015. We observed their neurodevelopment until 6 years of age or until the year 2019, whichever occurred first. Diagnoses of NDDs were based on the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases 10th revision. An association between preterm birth and NDD was assessed using a multivariable logistic regression model. There was a stepwise increase in the risk of overall NDD with increasing degree of prematurity, from OP/LBW (adjusted odds ratio 4.46; 95% confidence interval 4.34−4.58), to EP/ELBW (16.15; 15.21−17.15). The EP/ELBW group was strongly associated with developmental delay (21.47; 20.05−22.99), cerebral palsy (88.11; 79.89−97.19), and autism spectrum disorder (11.64; 10.37−13.06). Preterm birth considerably increased the risk of NDD by the degree of prematurity.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
01:07Teratogenicity