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Neurodevelopmental outcome in one-year-old children born preterm: differences between low birth weight and very low
Barbara Caravale1, Corinna Gasparini2, Monica Rea3
1Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy - barbara.caravale@uniroma1.it.
Insights
Low birth weight (LBW) preterm infants show better cognitive and motor development than very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Early monitoring is crucial for all premature babies to ensure optimal child development.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal development
- Pediatric neurodevelopment
- Developmental pediatrics
Background:
- Low birth weight (LBW) is a significant risk factor for health and developmental issues in preterm infants.
- Limited data exist on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of LBW children compared to very and extremely low birth weight (VLBW, ELBW) infants in Italy.
- This study addresses the gap by comparing the developmental profiles of LBW and VLBW preterm children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the cognitive, language, and motor performances of preterm infants categorized by birth weight (LBW vs. VLBW).
- To identify developmental delays in these preterm populations at 12 months corrected age.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 108 preterm infants (53 LBW, 55 VLBW) was assessed at 12 months corrected age using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley III).
- Mean scores were compared between and within the LBW and VLBW groups.
- Rates of mild and severe developmental delay were analyzed using Italian norms.
Main Results:
- LBW infants demonstrated superior performance compared to VLBW infants, particularly in cognitive and gross motor domains.
- No significant differences were observed between the groups in language subscale scores.
- Both groups exhibited elevated rates of mild and severe developmental delay, with significantly higher rates in the VLBW group specifically for motor skills.
Conclusions:
- The findings highlight the need for multidisciplinary follow-up for all premature newborns, including those with birth weights above 1500 g.
- Early identification and intervention for cognitive, language, and motor problems are essential for promoting well-being and preparing children for school entry.
Background:
In preterm infants, low birth weight represents one of the major risk factors for health and developmental issues. In Italy, most of the studies are focused on extremely preterm or very and extremely low birth weight (VLBW, ELBW) children, whereas little data are available on the neurodevelopmental outcome of low birth weight (LBW) children. We aimed to study the developmental profile of a group of preterm children comparing cognitive, language and motor performances between LBW and VLBW.
Methods:
We assessed 108 children born preterm (53 LBW and 55 VLBW) at 12 months of corrected age (M=12.9 months; SD=0.95) with Bayley III. We compared the mean scores between and within groups and the rates of mild and severe delay using the Italian norms.
Results:
LBW children performed better than VLBW peers, particularly in the cognitive and gross motor areas. No differences between groups were found in relation to language subscales. The rate of mild and severe delay is elevated in both groups, resulting significantly higher in the VLBW group only in the motor area.
Conclusions:
These results strongly suggest the need of a multidisciplinary follow-up to monitor the development of premature newborns, including those with birth weights above 1500 g. The early identification of cognitive, language and motor problems is essential to promote children's well-being and intervention prior to school entry.
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