Measuring developmental deficit in children born at gestational age less than 26 weeks using a parent‐completed developmental questionnaire

Aim: To assess developmental deficit in children born at gestational age (GA) < 26 wk using a parental questionnaire and to use regression analysis to study a cohort born in 1999–2003. Patients and Methods: Three groups were studied: group 1, GA < 26 wk; group 2, GA 26–27 wk; group 3, children born at term. The Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) was used. The parents of each child were mailed an age‐specific questionnaire between November 2004 and April 2005. The term children were used as a reference to calculate a standard deviation score (ASQ‐SDS) for each child in the two preterm groups. Results: Seventy‐five per cent of the questionnaires were returned (group 1: n =61; group 2: n =57; group 3: n =72). The age at scoring ranged from 12 to 60 mo (mean 32.8 mo). After correction for parental education, 22% of the children born at GA < 26 wk and 13% of those at GA 26–27 wk had an ASQ‐SDS below −2. Chronic lung disease of prematurity was associated with developmental deficit (mean difference −1.1 ASQ‐SDS, p =0.004). Conclusion: The ASQ identified a significant developmental deficit in the children born extremely preterm. The rate of 22%, however, in children born at GA < 26 wk is reassuring.