Very preterm infants displayed similar imitation skills to full-term infants at term equivalent age.

Aim: Very preterm infants are exposed to an atypical environment that could alter their developmental trajectory. We aimed to examine neonatal imitation, a foundation of social cognition, in very preterm and full-term infants.

Methods: In Strasbourg, France, between 2015 and 2018, we prospectively investigated the development of imitation skills.