The ASQ did not predict low IQ scores when children born VPT were six years.

AIM: There is a need for methods that can provide valid assessment tools in a follow-up programme without great financial costs. This study assessed the accuracy of the 60-month Ages and Stages Questionnaire as a screening tool to predict a low intelligence quotient score at 6 years in children born very preterm. METHODS: Totally, 54 children participated in a six-year follow-up study, which included an intelligence quotient test at 6 years of age and a 60-month Ages and Stages Questionnaire at four and a half or 5 years of age at respond. We used the receiver operating characteristic curve and evaluated the optimal cut-off score to predict a low intelligence quotient score. RESULTS: At four and a half years, the optimal cut-off value for predicting a low intelligence quotient score was 242, with a sensitivity of 67% and a specificity of 59%. At 5 years, only one child had a low intelligence quotient score, and the analysis was not performed. CONCLUSION: Our results did not support the use of the 60-month Ages and Stages Questionnaire as a valuable screening tool to predict a low intelligence quotient score in children born very preterm at 6 years of age.

Bovine colostrum as a fortifier to human milk in very preterm infants - A randomized controlled trial (FortiColos).

BACKGROUND: Human milk for very preterm infants need fortification for optimal growth and development but the optimal fortification product remains to be identified. AIMS: To investigate feasibility, safety and preliminary efficacy on growth and blood biochemistry when using intact bovine colostrum (BC) as a fortifier to human milk in very preterm infants. METHODS: In an open-label, multicenter, randomized controlled pilot trial (infants 26-31 weeks' gestation), mother's own milk or donor human milk was fortified with powdered BC (n = 115) or a conventional fortifier (CF, bovine-milk-based, n = 117) until 35 weeks' postmenstrual age. Fortifiers and additional micronutrients were added to human milk according to local guidelines to achieve optimal growth (additional protein up to +1.4 g protein/100 mL human milk). Anthropometry was recorded weekly. Clinical morbidities including necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and late-onset sepsis (LOS) were recorded. Clinical biochemistry included plasma amino acid (AA) levels to assess protein metabolic responses to the new fortifier. RESULTS: A total of 232 infants, gestational age (GA) 28.5 ± 1.4 (weeks + days), fulfilled inclusion criteria. Birthweight, GA and delta Z scores from birth to end of intervention on weight, length or head circumference did not differ between groups, nor between the subgroups of small for gestational age infants. Likewise, incidence of NEC (BC: 3/115 vs. CF: 5/117, p = 0.72, unadjusted values), LOS (BC: 23/113 vs. CF: 14/116, p = 0.08) and other morbidities did not differ. BC infants received more protein than CF infants (+10%, p < 0.05) and showed several elevated AA levels (+10-40%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Infants fortified with BC showed similar growth but received more protein and showed a moderate increase in plasma AA-levels, compared with CF. Adjustments in protein composition and micronutrients in BC-based fortifiers may be required to fully suit the needs for very preterm infants.

IQ Was Not Improved by Post-Discharge Fortification of Breastmilk in Very Preterm Infants.

(1) Very preterm infants are at increased risk of cognitive deficits, motor impairments, and behavioural problems. Studies have tied insufficient nutrition and growth to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairment; (2) Methods: Follow-up study on cognitive and neuropsychological development at 6 years corrected age (CA) in 214 very preterm infants, including 141 breastfed infants randomised to mother's own milk (MOM) with (F-MOM) or without (U-MOM) fortification and 73 infants fed a preterm formula (PF-group), from shortly before discharge to 4 months CA. Infants with serious congenital anomalies or major neonatal morbidities were excluded prior to intervention. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV was used for cognitive testing, and the children's parents completed the Five to Fifteen Questionnaire (FTF); (3) Results: Post-discharge fortification of MOM did not improve either full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) with a median of 104 vs. 105.5 (p = 0.29), subdomain scores, or any domain score on the FTF questionnaire. Compared to the PF group, the MOM group had significantly better verbal comprehension score with a median of 110 vs. 106 (p = 0.03) and significantly better motor skills scores on the FTF questionnaire (p = 0.01); (4) Conclusions: The study supports breastfeeding without fortification as post-discharge nutrition in very preterm infants, and it seems superior to preterm formula.

[Perinatal care of the extremely preterm infants].

In 2018, The Danish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Danish Paediatric Society agreed on a national consensus guideline on the treatment of imminent preterm delivery prior to 25 weeks. This review summarises the recommendations: at 22 weeks transfer to a tertiary hospital, at 23 weeks tocolysis, antenatal steroid and newborn resuscitation with parental consent, if the infant is viable, and at 24 weeks caesarean section due to foetal distress. Newborn resuscitation is standard of care, unless not indicated for other reasons at 24 weeks.

Developmental delay at 12 months in children born extremely preterm.

AIM: To evaluate the feasibility and validity of a structured telephone interview to assess the development of children born extremely preterm. METHODS: The parents of 88 children born with a gestational age below 28 wk admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, were interviewed by telephone when their child was 1 y of age, corrected for preterm birth. A fully structured questionnaire on psychomotor function was used (Revised Prescreening Developmental Questionnaire (R-PDQ)). The parents of 30 children born at term without complications were interviewed for comparison. The interview was conducted by NICU staff. To validate the R-PDQ, parents of 22 children in the preterm group and parents of 19 children in the reference group conducted an Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) when their children had reached the age of 3-3(1/2) y. RESULTS: The R-PDQ was easy to use by staff and well accepted by parents. The mean score in the preterm group was 14.9+/-3.9 vs 17.7+/-2.7 in the term group (p<0.001). Three children had developmental scores below-2 SD. The R-PDQ score was associated with the ASQ score 2 y later. CONCLUSION: A structured questionnaire administrated by telephone is an alternative and usable tool for assessing neurodevelopmental deficit in children born extremely preterm. The mean developmental delay in the preterm group compared to the term group (about-1 SD) was close to expectations.

Ages and Stages Questionnaire used to measure cognitive deficit in children born extremely preterm.

AIM: To validate the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and to measure average cognitive deficit in children born extremely preterm. METHODS: Parents of 30 term children aged 36-42 mo completed the ASQ and the children underwent the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence--Revised. In a second study, the ASQ was obtained in 22 children born extremely preterm and 19 term children at the age of 35-44 mo. RESULTS: The overall ASQ score correlated significantly with IQ (p=0.007). The children born extremely preterm had an ASQ score of -1.06 SD below the score of the term children (p=0.048). CONCLUSION: The ASQ identified a developmental deficit of the expected magnitude.

Doxapram and developmental delay at 12 months in children born extremely preterm.

AIM: To examine the relation of doxapram to a developmental score achieved by a structured telephone interview in a group of extremely-preterm-born children. METHODS: Parents of 88 children born extremely preterm were contacted by telephone and interviewed by a structured questionnaire (R-PDQ) when the corrected age of their child was 9-15 mo. RESULTS: We found that doxapram treatment was associated with a deficit in age-adjusted R-PDQ score. CONCLUSION: Doxapram may have a negative effect on neurodevelopmental outcome.