Middle Childhood Morbidity in Children Born Preterm: A Canadian Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Neonatology
• Public Health

Background:

• Preterm birth is associated with potential long-term health consequences.
• Understanding childhood morbidities in relation to gestational age is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the risk of various morbidities in middle childhood (ages 5-10) among children born preterm.
• To identify specific health conditions and their association with different degrees of prematurity.

Main Methods:

• Population-based cohort study in British Columbia (2004-2017).
• Follow-up of children from ages 5 to 10 years.
• Gestational age (GA) categorized; Cox proportional hazard models used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (AHRs).

Main Results:

• 9.50% of 510,424 children were born preterm, exhibiting higher morbidity rates than term-born children.
• A dose-response relationship was observed: lower GA correlated with increased risks for allergic, cardiac, neurologic, and respiratory conditions.
• Specific AHRs indicated significantly elevated risks for puberty disorders, cardiac, neurologic, and respiratory conditions in preterm groups compared to term-born.

Conclusions:

• Children born preterm have significantly elevated risks for multiple morbidities during middle childhood.
• The identified risks escalate with decreasing gestational age, emphasizing the importance of ongoing surveillance and proactive health management for this population.