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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Neurodevelopmental outcomes in adolescents born very and extremely preterm: a prolonged follow-up from a

Emanuela Claudia Turco1, Laura Caiazza2, Martina Gnazzo2

  • 1Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.

Frontiers in Pediatrics
|July 13, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Early developmental assessments between 12-18 months predict adolescent outcomes for very preterm infants. This highlights the importance of ongoing neurodevelopmental monitoring for preterm survivors.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Preterm birth is a significant global health issue with lasting neurodevelopmental consequences.
  • Children born very or extremely preterm face heightened risks for cognitive, motor, and emotional challenges into adolescence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the predictive value of early developmental assessments on long-term outcomes in adolescents born very or extremely preterm.
  • To identify critical developmental windows for predicting cognitive and motor function in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective and prospective observational study of 29 adolescents (14-18 years) born very/extremely preterm.
  • Utilized neurological exams, cognitive testing (Raven's Progressive Matrices), motor assessments (Movement ABC-2/Brief Motor Scale), and early Bayley Scales scores (3-36 months).

Main Results:

  • Early cognitive scores (12-18 months) strongly predicted adolescent intellectual functioning (MDI vs. Raven QI: ρ=0.705-0.763, p<.01).
  • Early motor scores showed weaker prediction, with only the 18-month PDI being significant (ρ=0.583, p=.022).
  • Half of extremely preterm and a third of very preterm adolescents had neurodevelopmental diagnoses; visuomotor coordination correlated negatively with gestational age (r=-0.57).

Conclusions:

  • The 12-18 month developmental assessment period is crucial for predicting cognitive and motor outcomes in preterm infants.
  • Supports the need for structured, multidisciplinary surveillance of preterm survivors throughout adolescence.
Abstract

Keywords:
adolescentscognitive outcomelong-term follow-upmotor developmentneurodevelopmentpreterm birth

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