Brain Development and Maternal Behavior in Relation to Cognitive and Language Outcomes in Preterm-Born Children

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Updated: Sep 22, 2025

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

86.5K

Jillian Vinall Miller1, Vann Chau2, Anne Synnes3

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Behaviour and the Developing Brain, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Biological Psychiatry
|May 22, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Supportive maternal care can improve cognitive and language development in very preterm infants, even with early brain differences. This highlights the crucial role of responsive parenting in mitigating risks associated with premature birth.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Infants born very preterm (<=32 weeks gestational age) often experience developmental delays compared to term-born infants.
  • Supportive maternal responses are known to promote neurodevelopment.
  • The buffering effect of maternal support on early brain dysmaturation and subsequent cognitive/language outcomes remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether supportive maternal behavior can mitigate the negative association between early brain dysmaturation and cognitive/language development in very preterm infants.
  • To explore the moderating role of maternal support in the relationship between brain maturation and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective, observational cohort study of 226 very preterm infants.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to assess brain maturation (fractional anisotropy) at 32 weeks postmenstrual age and term-equivalent age.
  • Neurodevelopmental testing (Bayley Scales) and parent-child interaction filming (Emotional Availability Scale) at 3 years.
  • Statistical analysis using generalized estimating equations to examine interactions between maternal support and brain maturation.

Main Results:

  • Higher maternal support significantly moderated the relationship between cortical fractional anisotropy at term-equivalent age and cognitive scores (interaction term β = 2.01, p = .05).
  • Maternal support also moderated the relationship between cortical fractional anisotropy and language scores (interaction term β = 1.85, p = .04).

Conclusions:

  • Supportive maternal behavior can positively influence neurodevelopmental outcomes in very preterm infants.
  • Maternal support may buffer the effects of early brain dysmaturation on cognitive and language development.
  • Findings suggest an important avenue for intervention to promote optimal development in this vulnerable population.
Abstract

Keywords:
BehaviorBrainCognitionLanguageParentPreterm

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