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Preterm infants of educated mothers have better outcome
Author(s) -
Wang LanWan,
Wang ShanTair,
Huang ChaoChing
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.00738.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pediatrics , bayley scales of infant development , odds ratio , abnormality , prospective cohort study , cohort , odds , cohort study , child development , cognition , logistic regression , psychomotor learning , psychiatry
Aim: To determine the developmental trajectories of very‐low‐birthweight (VLBW) infants during the first 2 years of life, and investigate the most contributory predictors of diverse trajectories. Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled 887 VLBW infants from January 1999 to December 2002 with regular follow‐up at corrected age of 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Sociodemographic and medical data were collected, and the outcome measures consisted of neurological assessment and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development‐II. Results: Five trajectories of cognitive development based on the mental developmental indices from the age of 6 to 24 months were determined, including average‐stable (group A, 20.1%), average‐decline to borderline delay (group B, 34%), borderline delay‐catch‐up to average (group C, 20.2%), borderline delay‐decline to significant delay (group D, 17.2%) and significant delay‐stable (group E, 8.5%). Using group A as the reference category, we determined 6‐month neurological status and maternal education as the most significant predictors for various trajectories (p < 0.01). Infants with transient or definite neurological abnormality and/or low maternal education had higher odds of displaying the disadvantageous trajectories (group B, D and E; odds ratios, 1.79–46.4). Conclusion: VLBW infants with neurological abnormalities and/or low maternal education had high risk of developmental decline and might benefit from early intervention.