Prevention of Neurological Sequelae in Preterm Infants

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Neurology
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Preterm birth affects 5-18% of newborns globally, leading to white matter injuries and neurodevelopmental issues.
• Preterm infants face risks of brain damage from prenatal and perinatal factors.
• Hypomyelination in preterm infants is linked to preoligodendrocyte deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of brain risk factors and MRI findings on motor and cognitive development at age 3 in preterm infants.
• To assess the effectiveness of Katona neurohabilitation on long-term outcomes.
• To identify predictors of neurodevelopmental outcomes in this population.

Main Methods:

• 166 preterm infants underwent clinical and MRI evaluations before 4 months of age.
• 89% of infants showed abnormal MRI findings.
• Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (Mental Developmental Index and Psychomotor Developmental Index) were compared at 3 years between 128 treated and 38 untreated infants.

Main Results:

• Infants receiving Katona neurohabilitation demonstrated higher MDI and PDI scores.
• Placental disorders, sepsis, corpus callosum, and left lateral ventricle volumes predicted both MDI and PDI.
• Apgar scores < 7 and right lateral ventricle volume predicted PDI.

Conclusions:

• Katona neurohabilitation significantly enhances neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants by age 3.
• Sepsis and early MRI measurements of the corpus callosum and lateral ventricles are significant predictors of 3-year outcomes.
• Early intervention and monitoring of specific MRI parameters are crucial for preterm infant neurodevelopment.