BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Children born moderately preterm (32–356/7 weeks’ gestation) are at increased risk of both neonatal morbidities and developmental delays in early childhood. It is unknown whether neonatal morbidities contribute to the increased risk of developmental delay. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of neonatal morbidities after moderately preterm birth on development at preschool age. METHODS: In a community-based, stratified cohort, parents of 832 moderately preterm children born in 2002 or 2003 completed the Ages and Stage Questionnaire when their child was 43 to 49 months old. Data on Apgar scores, asphyxia, tertiary NICU admission, hospital transfer, circulatory insufficiency, hypoglycemia, septicemia, mechanical ventilation, continuous positive airway pressure, apneas, caffeine treatment, and hyperbilirubinemia were obtained from medical records. We assessed associations of neonatal characteristics with developmental delay, adjusted for gender, small-for-gestational-age status, gestational age, and maternal education. RESULTS: Hypoglycemia and asphyxia were associated with developmental delay; odds ratios (ORs) were 2.42 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23–4.77) and 3.18 (95% CI: 1.01–10.0), respectively. Tertiary NICU admission and hyperbilirubinemia had positive but statistically borderline nonsignificant associations with developmental delay: ORs were 1.74 (95% CI: 0.96–3.15) and 1.52 (95% CI: 0.94–2.46), respectively. No other neonatal morbidities were associated with developmental delay. In multivariate analyses, only hypoglycemia was associated with developmental delay (OR: 2.19; 95% CI: 1.08–4.46). CONCLUSIONS: In moderately preterm-born children, only hypoglycemia increased the risk of developmental delay at preschool age. A concerted effort to prevent hypoglycemia might enhance developmental outcome in this group.

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ASQAges and Stages Questionnaire Lollipop Longitudinal Preterm Outcome Project PCHC Preventive child healthcare SGA Small for gestational age AIM The aim of the study was to assess the influence of decreasing gestational age on the risk of developmental delay in various domains at age 4 years among children born at a wide range of gestational ages.METHOD In a community-based cohort, the parents of 1439 preterm-born children (24 0 ⁄ 7 to 35 6 ⁄ 7wks) and 544 term-born children (38 0 ⁄ 7 to 41 6 ⁄ 7wks') born in 2002 and 2003 completed the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) when their child was 3 years 7 months to 4 years 1 month old. The prevalence rates of abnormal scores on the ASQ-total problems scale were compared in preterm and term-born children and the resulting odds ratios for gestational age groups were calculated and adjusted for social and biological covariates. RESULTSThe prevalence rates of abnormal scores on the ASQ-total problems scale increased with decreasing gestational age: from 4.2% among term-born children to 37.5% among children born at 24-25 weeks' gestation (p<0.001). The risk of an abnormal ASQ-total score increased exponentially with decreasing gestational age compared with children born at term (odds ratio per week of gestation 1.14, 95% confidence interval 1.09-1.19). A similar exponential pattern was seen on all underlying ASQ domains, both before and after adjustment. INTERPRETATIONThe risk of developmental delay increases exponentially with decreasing gestational age below 36 weeks' gestation on all developmental domains of the ASQ. Adjustment for covariates did not alter the pattern of exponential increase in developmental risk with decreasing gestational age. We speculate that both direct perinatal cerebral injuries and tropic and maturational brain disturbances are involved.Two recent meta-analyses reported a pattern of continuously decreasing IQ scores with decreasing gestational age. 1,2 By and large, in these meta-analyses the results for children born at between 32 and 36 weeks' gestation, that is moderately preterm children were arrived at by extrapolation, as relatively few studies on long-term development have been carried out in this particular group.3,4 Recently, we demonstrated that moderately preterm children are also at increased risk of developmental delay at school entry. 5Studies on the effect of decreasing gestational age on development in early childhood that cover the entire preterm gestational age range are few and inconclusive regarding the increased risk of developmental delay with decreasing gestational age. 6,7 Further, most studies examining the association between decreasing gestational age and increasing developmental problems focus solely on global IQ scores or on rates of specific school problems such as difficulties in reading and mathematics, or failure to complete school at all. 2,8,9 To our knowledge, no study has addressed the effect of decreasing gestational age over the entire preterm gestational age range on the developmental domains that may ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine how symmetric (proportionate; SGR) and asymmetric (disproportionate; AGR) growth restriction influence growth and development in preterms from birth to 4 years. METHODS: This community-based cohort study of 810 children comprised 86 SGR, 61 AGR, and 663 non–growth restricted (NGR) preterms, born in 2002 and 2003. Symmetrical growth restriction was defined as a birth weight below the 16th percentile (–1 SD) compared with full-terms and a head circumference (HC) z score not exceeding the infant’s birth weight z score by &gt;1 SD. Asymmetric growth restriction was defined as a HC z score exceeding that for by &gt;1 SD as a proxy of brain sparing. Developmental delay was assessed by the Ages and Stages Questionnaire at 4 years. RESULTS: Longitudinal gains in weight and height were similar for SGR and AGR children and less compared with NGR children. At age 4, z scores for weight were –1.1 for SGR and –0.7 for AGR children vs –0.3 for NGR children. z scores for height were –0.8 and –0.5 vs –0.2. HC gain were 2 cm more in SGR, but at 1 year, they were –0.2 vs 0.2 (AGR) and 0.1 (NGR). Developmental delay increased with odds ratios of 2.5 (95% confidence interval 1.1–6.0) for SGR and 2.1 (95% confidence interval 0.7–5.9) for AGR. CONCLUSIONS: Weight and height gains were similar for AGR and SGR children but poorer compared with NGR children. SGR children caught up on HC. Developmental delay was more likely in growth-restricted preterms independent of HC at birth.