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Updated: May 5, 2026

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Long-term health outcomes of preterm birth: a narrative review

Faith Gette1, Sumera Aziz Ali1, Matthew S P Ho1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

Frontiers in Pediatrics
|May 8, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Preterm birth (PTB) leads to lifelong health issues affecting physical, cognitive, and social development. Early monitoring and intervention are crucial for managing these long-term complications in infants born prematurely.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Neonatal mortality has decreased, but preterm birth (PTB) incidence and long-term complications remain significant challenges.
  • Complications from PTB, especially extreme PTB (before 28 weeks), impact individuals throughout their lifespan.
  • These health issues span multiple organ systems and developmental domains.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive review of well-characterized long-term complications associated with PTB.
  • To summarize current literature on the multifaceted health sequelae of PTB.
  • To emphasize the importance of long-term monitoring and proactive evaluation for infants born preterm.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive narrative literature review.
  • Analysis of studies detailing long-term complications across various organ systems.
  • Synthesis of evidence on physical, cognitive, and social developmental impacts.

Main Results:

  • PTB is associated with a wide spectrum of long-term complications, including neurodevelopmental disorders.
  • Respiratory, cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, and endocrine system disorders are frequently observed.
  • These complications persist from childhood into adulthood, affecting overall health and development.

Conclusions:

  • Healthcare providers need a holistic understanding of PTB complications for effective patient care.
  • Long-term monitoring and proactive evaluations are essential for infants born preterm.
  • Anticipating complications can lead to earlier interventions and improved management strategies.

Keywords:
health outcomesnarrative reviewneonateperinatal epidemiologypreterm birth

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