Preterm birth accounts for 11% of births worldwide. Despite advances in neonatal care, these infants remain at high-risk for a range of neurodevelopmental impairments including motor, cognitive, communicative and emotional/behavioral skills. Obviously, severe and extreme preterm birth has been mostly associated with poorer neurodevelopmental outcome. Several pre-perinatal risk factors have been related to prematurity and early assessed on their effects on neurodevelopmental outcome, as well as their early detection tools.
Nonetheless, late and moderate preterm infants have been showed to have an increased risk of lower cognitive and academic performances, however, they still represent a significant diagnostic challenge, especially early in life, since their impairments are often underestimated throughout the clinical follow-up. Several antenatal and perinatal risk factors as well as early clinical and neuroimaging markers, have been associated with preterm birth neurodevelopmental outcome and need to be further addressed. The implications for low and middle income settings will be also taken into account in preterm neurodevelopment.
Previous reports suggest that preterm infants are at increased risk of neuro-developmental disability, school failure, behavior and social problems. Although this mounting evidence, and early intervention has been showed to improve outcomes, the developmental screening and follow-up programs are still highly heterogeneous. Moreover, intervention/rehabilitation is often started late in development with obvious implications in patients’ outcome.
Herein we aim to focus on the main clinical and neurodevelopmental features related to preterm birth, as well as, the constellation of biological, neuroimaging and neurophysiological markers associated with prematurity.
• Prenatal and perinatal risk factors on neurodevelopmental outcome
• The role of oxidative stress in preterm birth
• Early detection: clinical predictors and biomarkers
• Predictive role of early neuroimaging in high and low-risk infants
• Neurodevelopmental trajectories and preterm birth
• Preterm birth: a lifespan perspective
Preterm birth accounts for 11% of births worldwide. Despite advances in neonatal care, these infants remain at high-risk for a range of neurodevelopmental impairments including motor, cognitive, communicative and emotional/behavioral skills. Obviously, severe and extreme preterm birth has been mostly associated with poorer neurodevelopmental outcome. Several pre-perinatal risk factors have been related to prematurity and early assessed on their effects on neurodevelopmental outcome, as well as their early detection tools.
Nonetheless, late and moderate preterm infants have been showed to have an increased risk of lower cognitive and academic performances, however, they still represent a significant diagnostic challenge, especially early in life, since their impairments are often underestimated throughout the clinical follow-up. Several antenatal and perinatal risk factors as well as early clinical and neuroimaging markers, have been associated with preterm birth neurodevelopmental outcome and need to be further addressed. The implications for low and middle income settings will be also taken into account in preterm neurodevelopment.
Previous reports suggest that preterm infants are at increased risk of neuro-developmental disability, school failure, behavior and social problems. Although this mounting evidence, and early intervention has been showed to improve outcomes, the developmental screening and follow-up programs are still highly heterogeneous. Moreover, intervention/rehabilitation is often started late in development with obvious implications in patients’ outcome.
Herein we aim to focus on the main clinical and neurodevelopmental features related to preterm birth, as well as, the constellation of biological, neuroimaging and neurophysiological markers associated with prematurity.
• Prenatal and perinatal risk factors on neurodevelopmental outcome
• The role of oxidative stress in preterm birth
• Early detection: clinical predictors and biomarkers
• Predictive role of early neuroimaging in high and low-risk infants
• Neurodevelopmental trajectories and preterm birth
• Preterm birth: a lifespan perspective
