Cognitive, language and motor developmental patterns of extremely preterm children up to 2 years of age: a descriptive approach

Erika Jurišová^*Lucia RáczováMarta ZaťkováMartina Romanová

• Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia

Background: This longitudinal descriptive study aimed to examine the neurodevelopmental patterns, prevalence of developmental delays, and associated risk factors – gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) – in Slovak children born at extremely low gestational age (ELGA), from 7–8 months of corrected age to 24–25 months of chronological age, focusing on cognitive, motor, and language development. Methods: The study included 7 female and 10 male ELGA children with a mean GA of 26.0 weeks (SD = 1.2) and mean BW of 875.8 grams (SD = 171.2). The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) was administered to assess development. Results: The developmental functioning of cognitive, language, and motor skills in the sample studied at the 7th or 8th month of CA was within the average range. The prevalence of mild to moderate delay (< -1 SD) was: cognition: 11.7%, language: 11.7%, motor: 29.4%. We observed a decline in cognitive, language, and motor functioning to the low-average range at 2 years of age. The prevalence of developmental delay was: mild to moderate delay (< -1 SD): 29.4% of children for cognition, 29.4% for language, and 17.6% for motor skills. Severe delay (< -2 SD) was present in 11.7% of children for cognition, 17.6% for language, and 17.6% for motor skills. In the sample, we observed a declining developmental trends in cognitive and motor skills; however, the trends remained within the range of typical development. Regarding language skills, we observed the most pronounced decline during the first two years of development, shifting from typical development to a mild-to-moderate delay. We identified four types of developmental trajectories patterns in cognitive, language, and motor skills: 1) ascending into the normal range; 2) stable pattern within the normal range; 3) stable pattern within the delayed range; 4) descending into the delayed range. Findings indicate a higher incidence of developmentally risky patterns in children born at low gestational age (24–25 weeks) and in children with birth weight below 750 grams and lower. Limitation: The limitation of the study was the small sample size and the absence of Slovak standards for Bayley-III.