Relationship between moderate to late preterm, diet types and developmental delay in less-developed rural China

ABSTRACT

Aim: To measure the development of moderate to late preterm children by Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) and explore the relationship between moderate to late preterm, diet types and development delay in less-developed rural China.

Methods: Data were collected from a cross-sectional community-based survey, which recruited 1748 children aged 1–59 months in eight counties of China. Caregivers of these children completed the Chinese version of ASQ-3 (ASQ-C) while physical examination and questionnaires on socio-demographic characteristics were conducted. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyze the association between moderate to late preterm and suspected developmental delay, as well as the association between diet types and suspected developmental delay. Consumption of certain food types was compared between moderate to late preterm and full-term children.

Results: The prevalence of suspected overall developmental delay was 31.3% in the moderate to the late preterm group, compared with 21.6% in the full-term group. Moderate to late preterm birth was not associated with total suspected developmental delay and developmental delay in all the domains of ASQ, except for fine motor (OR = 2.43 95% C.I.: 1.04–5.56). The intake of vegetables and fruits had a protective influence on developmental delay in fine motor function, and moderate to late preterm children had lower relative consumption of fruits and vegetables than full-term children.

Conclusion: Moderate to late preterm children in rural China showed an increased likelihood of developmental delay in fine motor function. Future interventions to improve the intake of vegetables and fruits in moderate to late preterm children are recommended.

KEYWORDS:

• Moderate to late preterm
• Diet types
• Developmental delay
• China

Acknowledgements

We would like also thank research teams from Peking University, Lanzhou University, Guangxi medical University, Capital Medical University, Chongqing Medical University, for their contributions on field work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by UNICEF China : [Grant Number “Health , Nutrition and WASH” [NO.501]].

Notes on contributors

Hong Zhou

Hong Zhou, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University. Her research focuses on maternal health care and early childhood development. Dr. Zhou is the first or corresponding author of over 30 peer-reviewed manuscripts, including manuscripts published on Lancet Global Health.

Xueqi Qu

Xueqi Qu, MBBS, is a second-year master student in the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She finished her undergraduate program in the School of Public Health, Peking University. Her research focuses on early childhood development and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Yuning Yang

Yuning Yang, PhD, is an Officer of UNICEF China Office. She participated in the Integrated Maternal and Child Health and Development (IMCHD) program and the early childhood development project in China Office of UNICEF.

Ashish KC

Ashish KC, MBBS, MHCM, PhD, is a global health researcher at Uppsala University and is also a maternal and neonatal health specialist in UNICEF Nepal. He has more than 10-year working experience within the field of maternal and child health, and recently focuses on providing evidence based strategic, technical and managerial leadership for the maternal, newborn and child health program.

Xiaoli Liu

Xiaoli Liu, BS, is a previous Master student in the Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University. Her recent research focused on childhood vaccination.

Chenlu Yang

Chenlu Yang, BS, is a previous MPH student in the Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Her previous research focused on child neurodevelopmental delay.

Anqi Wang

Anqi Wang, MHS, is a current PhD student in the Department of Preventative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California. She obtained her master's degree in the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and her bachelor's degree in the Department of Maternal and Child Health. Her recent research focuses on cancer, and her prior research focused on child growth and development.

Yue Huang

Yue Huang, BS, is a third-year MPH student in the Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University. Her recent research focuses on domestic violence and early childhood development. Her prior research focused on maternal mental health, particularly postnatal depression.

Jing Sun

Jing Sun, PhD, is an Associate Professor at School of Medicine, Griffith University. Her research focuses on community health promotion, and her prior research focused on preterm birth and probiotics.

Xiaona Huang

Xiaona Huang, PhD, is an Officer of UNICEF China Office. She takes responsibility of the Integrated Maternal and Child Health and Development (IMCHD) program and the early childhood development project in China Office of UNICEF.

Yan Wang

Yang Wang, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University. Her research focuses on child health epidemiology. She had a wealth of experience of project evaluation on child growth and development.