Neurobehavior in very preterm infants with low medical risk and full-term infants

Roberta Pineda; Lara Liszka; Pido Tran; Jenny Kwon; Terrie Inder

doi:10.1038/s41372-022-01432-3

Neurobehavior in very preterm infants with low medical risk and full-term infants

J Perinatol. 2022 Oct;42(10):1400-1408. doi: 10.1038/s41372-022-01432-3. Epub 2022 Jun 18.

Authors

Roberta Pineda^{1

2

3

4

5}, Lara Liszka^{6

7}, Pido Tran⁶, Jenny Kwon^{6

8}, Terrie Inder⁹

Affiliations

¹ Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. bobbi.pineda@chan.usc.edu.
² Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. bobbi.pineda@chan.usc.edu.
³ Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA. bobbi.pineda@chan.usc.edu.
⁴ Gehr Family Center for Health Systems Science and Innovation, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. bobbi.pineda@chan.usc.edu.
⁵ Center for the Changing Family, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. bobbi.pineda@chan.usc.edu.
⁶ Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
⁷ Department of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA.
⁸ Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁹ Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Abstract

Objective: To describe differences in neurobehavior among very preterm infants with low medical risk at term equivalent age and full-term infants.

Study design: One-hundred eighty-six (136 infants born ≤32 weeks gestation with low medical risk at term equivalent age and 50 full-term infants within 4 days of birth) had standardized neurobehavioral assessments. Low medical risk was defined by ventilation <10 days and absence of significant brain injury, necrotizing enterocolitis, patent ductus arteriosus, and retinopathy of prematurity.

Results: Very preterm infants with low medical risk at term equivalent age demonstrated more sub-optimal reflexes (p < 0.001; ß = 1.53) and more stress (p < 0.001; ß = 0.08) on the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale compared to their full-term counterparts. Very preterm infants with low medical risk also performed worse on the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination (p = 0.005; ß = -3.4).

Conclusion: Very preterm infants at term equivalent age continue to demonstrate less optimal neurobehavior compared to full-term infants.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Ductus Arteriosus, Patent*
Female
Fetal Growth Retardation
Gestational Age
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature
Infant, Premature, Diseases* / diagnosis
Infant, Very Low Birth Weight
Middle Aged

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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