Predictor variables of neurodevelopmental characteristics at 2 years among low birth weight and preterm children: a 2-year follow-up study

ABSTRACT

The aim of our study is to describe the neuromotor development of preterm and low birth weight infants at 1 and 2 years of corrected age, and to examine the extent to which perinatal, neonatal, socio-demographic, and neuromotor development indices measured at the age of 1 are able to predict infants’ development indices at the age of 2. Our sample consisted of 140 infants; developmental examinations were carried out using Bayley-III Screening and Diagnostic Tests. We gathered information by retrospectively reviewing newborns’ hospital discharge papers as well by applying a self-devised questionnaire. Our statistical analyses suggest that our multivariate linear regression models possess adequate explanatory power (R² = 50–90%): it can be established that, of all development indices at year 1, for all outcome variables (Cognitive, Language, Motor, Social-Emotional, and Adaptive Behaviour Scales at the age of 2), Receptive and Expressive language communication showed outstanding explanatory power.

KEYWORDS:

• BSID-III
• preterm infant
• low birth weight
• predictor factors
• language skills

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank all mothers and children who participated in our research. We are also indebted to neonatologist Prof. György Balla and Prof. Tamás Szabó, the director of the Department of Pediatrics, who helped and supported our examinations.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 For more on these selection algorithms see e.g. the SPSS Tutorial https://www.spss-tutorials.com/regression/.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Beáta Erika Nagy

Beáta Erika Nagy is a clinical child psychologist, psychotherapist and professor of child psychology at the Pediatric Psychology and Psychosomatic Unit of the Department of Paediatrics, University of Debrecen. Her research focus is on the psychomotor and cognitive development of preterm children and the mental health of children with chronic diseases.

József Mihály Gáll

József Mihály Gáll is an associate professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Probability Theory, Faculty of Informatics, University of Debrecen. His main research area is statistics and financial mathematics, with special interest and experience in the application of statistical tools and stochastic models in different scientific areas (such as plant disease, dental sciences or economics).

Anna Szabina Szele

Anna Szabina Szele is a health-psychologist and doctoral student at the Kálmán Laki Doctoral School , University of Debrecen. Her research focuses on the cognitive, language and motor development of preterm children at 12 and 24 months of corrected age.