Neurobehaviour at term‐equivalent age and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years in infants born moderate‐to‐late preterm

Aim To examine the association between newborn neurobehavioural assessments and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years in infants born moderate‐to‐late preterm ( MLPT ). Method Two‐hundred and one infants born MLPT (born 32–36 +6 wks' gestation) were assessed with the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination ( HNNE ) and NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale ( NNNS ), with suboptimal performance defined as scores lower than the 10th centile. Development was assessed at 2 years corrected age with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development 3rd Edition, with delay defined as scores less than 1 standard deviation ( SD ) below the mean. The relationships between neurobehaviour at term and Bayley‐ III cognitive, language, and motor scales at 2 years were examined using linear regression. Results Increased odds for cognitive delay were associated with suboptimal HNNE total scores (odds ratio [ OR ] 2.66; 95% confidence interval [ CI ] 1.14–6.23, p =0.020) and suboptimal NNNS excitability ( OR 3.01; 95% CI 1.33–6.82, p =0.008) and lethargy ( OR 4.05; 95% CI 1.75–9.31, p =0.001) scores. Suboptimal lethargy scores on the NNNS were associated with increased odds of language ( OR 5.64; 95% CI 1.33–23.85, p =0.019) and motor delay ( OR : 6.86; 95% CI 1.64–28.71, p =0.08). Interpretation Suboptimal performance on specific aspects of newborn neurobehavioural assessments is associated with neurodevelopmental delay at 2 years in children born MLPT .