Relative contributions of prenatal complications, perinatal characteristics, neonatal morbidities and socio-economic conditions of preterm infants on the occurrence of developmental disorders up to 7 years of age.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the relative contributions of prenatal complications, perinatal characteristics, neonatal morbidities and socio-economic conditions on the occurrence of motor, sensory, cognitive, language and psychological disorders in a large longitudinal preterm infant population during the first 7 years after birth. METHODS: The study population comprised 4122 infants born at <35 weeks of gestation who were followed for an average of 74.0 months after birth. Developmental disorders, including motor, sensory, cognitive, language and psychological, were assessed at each follow-up visit from 18 months to 7 years of age. The investigated determinants included prenatal complications (prolonged rupture of membranes >24 hours, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm labour and maternal hypertension), perinatal characteristics (gender, multiple pregnancies, gestational age, birth weight, APGAR score and intubation or ventilation in the delivery room), neonatal complications (low weight gain during hospitalization, respiratory assistance, severe neurological anomalies, nosocomial infections) and socio-economic characteristics (socio-economic level, parental separation, urbanicity). Based on hazard ratios determined using a propensity score matching approach, population-attributable fractions (PAF) were calculated for each of the four types of determinants and for each developmental disorder. RESULTS: The percentages of motor, sensory, cognitive, language and psychological disorders were 17.0, 13.4, 29.1, 25.9 and 26.1%, respectively. The PAF for the perinatal characteristics were the highest and they were similar for the different developmental disorders considered (around 60%). For the neonatal and socio-economic determinants, the PAF varied according to the disorder, with contributions of up to 17% for motor and 27% for language disorders, respectively. Finally, prenatal complications had the lowest contributions (between 6 and 13%). CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrates the heterogeneity of risk factors on the risk of developmental disorder in preterm infants. These results suggest the importance of considering both medical and psycho-social follow-ups of preterm infants and their families.

Impact of parental separation or divorce on school performance in preterm children: A population-based study.

The objective of this study was to quantify the possible decrease in school performance at five years of age in preterm children associated with parental separation or divorce, and to test whether this effect varies according to the child's age at the time of the separation. This study included 3,308 infants delivered at < 35 weeks of gestation born between 2003 and 2011 who were enrolled in the population-based LIFT cohort and who had an optimal neurodevelopmental outcome at two years of age. These infants were evaluated by their teachers to assess their abilities and behavior when they had reached five years of age, using the Global School Adaptation (GSA) questionnaire. The mean GSA score was 50.8 points. Parental separations (assessed as parents either living together or living separately) were associated with a decrease in school performance at five years of age, although this was only the case for children who exhibited difficulties at school (3.7 points, p < 0.01). A decrease in school performance only occurred when parental separations took place between 3 and 5 years after the child's birth. Parental separation was associated with a decrease in these children's levels of motivation, autonomy, and manual dexterity. This study indicates that preterm infants of parents who had separated are particularly at risk of a lower scholar performance.

Efficacy of Antenatal Corticosteroid Treatment on Neurodevelopmental Outcome according to Head Circumference at Birth.

BACKGROUND: There are concerns about the efficacy of antenatal corticosteroid treatment (ACT) in the growth-restricted fetus. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of ACT on neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of corrected age according to the z score of birth head circumference (ZS HC) in a large prospective cohort of preterm infants. METHODS: This study was conducted as a population-based, prospective, multicenter study, including 4,965 infants born between 24 and 33 weeks' gestation and whose status regarding ACT and the measurement of head circumference at birth were available. They were evaluated at 2 years of corrected age to assess neurological outcome. Three approaches were considered to estimate the effect of ACT on neurodevelopment: (i) logistic regression with adjustment on propensity score, (ii) weighted logistic regression using the inverse probability of treatment weighting method, and (iii) 1:1 matching of gestational age, ZS HC, and propensity score between treated and nontreated infants. RESULTS: ACT was documented in 60% of infants. Three groups of infants were considered according to their ZS HC: between -3 and -1 standard deviation (SD), -1 and +1 SD, and +1 and +3 SD, respectively. ACT was associated with a significant improvement of neurodevelopmental outcome only for infants with an ZS HC of between +1 and +3 SD (adjusted OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.06-2.79). Moreover, ORs estimated in the -3 to -1 and +1 to +3 categories were significantly different. CONCLUSION: We found beneficial effects of ACT on neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years of corrected age only in preterm infants with a ZS HC >1 SD.

Impact of preterm birth on parental separation: a French population-based longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate both the effects of low gestational age and infant's neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age on the risk of parental separation within 7 years of giving birth. DESIGN: Prospective. SETTING: 24 maternity clinics in the Pays-de-la-Loire region. PARTICIPANTS: This study included 5732 infants delivered at <35 weeks of gestation born between 2005 and 2013 who were enrolled in the population-based Loire Infant Follow-up Team cohort and who had a neurodevelopmental evaluation at 2 years. This neurodevelopmental evaluation was based on a physical examination, a psychomotor evaluation and a parent-completed questionnaire. OUTCOME MEASURE: Risk of parental separation (parents living together or parents living separately). RESULTS: Ten percent (572/5732) of the parents reported having undergone separation during the follow-up period. A mediation analysis showed that low gestational age had no direct effect on the risk of parental separation. Moreover, a non-optimal neurodevelopment at 2 years was associated with an increased risk of parental separation corresponding to a HR=1.49(1.23 to 1.80). Finally, the increased risk of parental separation was aggravated by low socioeconomic conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of low gestational age on the risk of parental separation was mediated by the infant's neurodevelopment.

Neurodevelopmental Outcome at 2 Years of Age according to Patent Ductus Arteriosus Management in Very Preterm Infants.

BACKGROUND: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a condition frequently found in very preterm infants, and its treatment remains a subject of debate. Furthermore, there are only a few studies available that have examined the impact of these treatments on the neurological outcome of the patient. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the neurodevelopmental outcome of PDA treatment on preterm infants born between 24+0 and 28+6 weeks of gestation. METHODS: We conducted an observational multicentric cohort study (LIFT Cohort). We compared three groups of patients according to their PDA treatment strategy: medical treatment with ibuprofen, surgical ligation, and no treatment. The neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed with a physical examination and cognitive function evaluation at 2 years of age. A propensity score was used to reduce bias in the analysis. RESULTS: Between 2003 and 2011, 857 infants (91.3%) were evaluated at 2 years of corrected age and included in the analysis: 248 received ibuprofen treatment (29%), 104 had PDA surgical ligation (12%), and 505 did not receive any PDA treatment (59%). Surgical ligation of PDA was significantly associated with neurodevelopmental impairment at 2 years of age (adjusted odds ratio = 2.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.4-3.4). CONCLUSION: We found an association between PDA surgical ligation and a nonoptimal neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age for preterm infants born before 29 weeks of gestation. These results suggest that if surgical ligation is unavoidable, particular attention should be given to the patient's neurodevelopmental follow-up.