Follow-Up Study On Physical And Neurodevelopmental Outcomes In Extremely Preterm Infants At The Corrected Age Of 12 Months

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the physical and neurological outcomes of extremely preterm infants (EPIs) at the corrected ageof 12 months, to provide the basis for parents and doctors to make treatment decisions.Methods: The follow-up data of EPIs who survived and were discharged from Women’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical Universityduring 2018–2020 were analyzed. The weight, length, and head circumference by age were recorded and compared with those ofterm infantsto investigate the catch-up growth of EPIs. Children at 12 months’ corrected agewere assessed using the Gesell Developmental Scale.The relationship of basic data with the catch-up growth and nervous system development was also discussed.Results: In totaL, 70 infants were included in this study. At the 1-year visit, the EPIs were larger than the 50th percentile for weight, length, and head circumference(HC) of the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards. The percentages of catch-up in weight, length, and HC were all greater than 50%.Our multivariate logistic regression showed that the higher the weight gain in the first year of life (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.04–2.03, P = 0.03), the higher the body length gain (OR = 5.72, 95% CI: 1.08–30.21, P = 0.04), the higher the birth weight (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01–1.02, P = 0.01), and the higher the weight gain (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.09–1.61, P = 0.01), which would induce the catch-up growth of EPIs. Furthermore, after 1 year of follow-up, the proportions of mild-to-moderate abnormal development quotient (DQ) in the five functional domains were all greater than 10%. Hence, theearly catch-up growth was beneficial for neurodevelopment.Conclusions: Close developmental surveillance is of great significance in improving the long-term quality of life of EPIS.