title: Behavioural outcomes at 3 years of age among late preterm infants admitted to neonatal intensive care: a cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Examine the behavioural outcomes at age 3 years of late preterm infants (LPIs) who were admitted to neonatal intensive care (NIC) in comparison with LPIs who were not admitted.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cohort study prospectively recruited 225 children born late preterm (34-36(+6) weeks gestation) in 2006 in Northern Ireland, now aged 3 years. Two groups were compared: LPIs who received NIC (study; n=103) and LPIs who did not receive NIC (control; n=122). Parents/guardians completed the Child Behaviour Checklist/1½-5. Descriptive maternal and infant data were also collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As expected LPI children admitted to NIC had higher medical risk than the non-admitted comparison group (increased caesarean section, born at earlier gestation, lower birth weight and an episode of resuscitation at birth). LPIs admitted to NIC scored higher on the Child Behaviour Checklist/1½-5 compared with those who were not admitted indicating more behavioural problems; this was statistically significant for the Aggressive Behaviour Subscale (z=-2.36) and the Externalising Problems Scale (z=-2.42). The group difference on the Externalising Problems Scale was no longer significant after controlling for gender, gestational age and deprivation score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides valuable data on the behaviour at age 3 years of LPIs admitted to NIC compared with LPIs not admitted to NIC. Further research would be beneficial to explore medical and psychosocial explanations for observed differences between groups using large prospective cohort studies.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boylan
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, Belfast, UK.
authors.forename: Fiona A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Alderdice
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: McGowan
authors.affiliation: Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital, Neonatal Intensive Care, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Perra
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jenkins
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D009660:Northern Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011203:Poverty; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Behaviour; Late Preterm Infants; Neonatal Intensive Care; Neonatology; Outcomes Research