To describe neurodevelopmental outcomes in adolescents born very or extremely preterm and examine the predictive value of early Bayley scores on cognitive and motor functioning in adolescence.
Approach:
Key Findings:
MDI scores at 12 and 18 months correlated significantly with Raven QI equivalent scores in adolescence (ρ = 0.705 and ρ = 0.763, p <.01).
Early motor scores showed inconsistent predictive associations; only the 18-month PDI reached significance (ρ = 0.583, p =.022).
50% of extremely preterm and 33.3% of very preterm adolescents had psychiatric or neurodevelopmental diagnoses.
Visuomotor coordination had the strongest negative correlation with gestational age (r = –0.57).
The association at 3 months was weaker and non-significant (ρ = 0.410, p =.052).
Interpretation:
The 12–18 month developmental assessment window carries prognostic value for cognitive and motor outcomes in preterm survivors.
Limitations:
The study is based on a small sample size of 29 adolescents.
Findings may not be generalizable to broader populations due to the single-center design.
Conclusion:
The study supports the implementation of structured multidisciplinary surveillance for preterm survivors.
