[Physical growth and neurodevelopment of preterm infants at the corrected age of 18-24 months].

Objectives: To investigate the levels of physical growth and neurodevelopment in preterm infants at the corrected age of 18-24 months.

Methods: The physical growth data and neurodevelopment data of 484 preterm infants at corrected age of 18-24 months were prospectively collected by a post-discharge follow-up system for preterm infants. The infants were regularly followed up in Shenzhen Bao'an Maternal and Child Health Hospital Affiliated to Jinan University from April 2018 to December 2021. The neurodevelopment was evaluated by the Children Neuropsychological and Behavioral Scale-Revision 2016. A total of 219 full-term infants served as controls. The infants were divided into groups (extremely preterm, very preterm, moderate late preterm, and full-term) based on gestational age, and the groups were compared in the levels of physical growth and neurodevelopment.

Results: Except that the moderate preterm group had a higher length-for-age Z-score than the full-term group (=0.038), there was no significant difference in physical growth indicators between the preterm groups and the full-term group (>0.05). Each preterm group had a significantly lower total developmental quotient (DQ) than the full-term group (<0.05). Except for the social behavior domain, the DQ of other domains in the extremely preterm and very preterm groups was significantly lower than that in the full-term group (<0.05). The <32 weeks preterm group had a significantly higher incidence rate of global developmental delay than the full-term group (16.7% vs 6.4%, =0.012), and the incidence rate of global developmental delay tended to increase with the reduction in gestational age (=0.026).

Conclusions: Preterm infants can catch up with full-term infants in terms of physical growth at the corrected age of 18-24 months, but with a lower neurodevelopmental level than full-term infants. Neurodevelopment monitoring and early intervention should be taken seriously for preterm infants with a gestational age of <32 weeks.