Neurodevelopmental outcome at 5 to 6 years of age of an early intervention program in preterm infants

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care and developmental pediatrics.
• Epigenetics and developmental biology.

Background:

• Preterm birth is associated with long-term neurodevelopmental challenges.
• Early intervention (EI) programs aim to mitigate these issues, but long-term effects require further investigation.
• LINE1 promoter methylation is a potential epigenetic marker of developmental outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants participating in a parent-based EI program during NICU stay.
• To investigate LINE1 promoter methylation levels at early school age in relation to EI.
• To assess the sustained efficacy of EI for preterm infants.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving preterm infants (25-29 weeks gestational age).
• Infants were randomized to Standard Care (SC) or Early Intervention (EI) including parental training and multisensory experiences.
• Neurodevelopmental assessments (Griffiths scores) and LINE1 promoter methylation analysis (buccal swabs) were performed at 5-6 years of age.

Main Results:

• 36 infants (21 EI, 15 SC) completed follow-up.
• EI children showed significantly higher General Developmental Quotient scores (90.4 vs 82.3, p=0.003).
• Longitudinal analysis indicated sustained and diverging benefits of EI over time; no significant differences in LINE1 methylation were found between groups.

Conclusions:

• Parent-based early intervention programs demonstrate significant and sustained long-term benefits for the neurodevelopment of preterm infants.
• These findings support the implementation of EI for improving developmental trajectories in preterm-born children.
• Further research is needed to explore underlying mechanisms and optimize intervention strategies.