title: Behaviour and development in 24-month-old moderately preterm toddlers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Moderately preterm children (gestational age 32-36+6 weeks) are at risk of cognitive and behaviour problems at school age. The aim of this study was to investigate if these problems are already present at the age of 2 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Developmental outcome was assessed at 24-months (corrected age) with the Bayley-III-NL in 116 moderately preterm (M=34.66 ± 1.35 weeks gestation) and 99 term born children (M=39.45 ± 0.98 weeks gestation). Behaviour problems were assessed with the Child Behaviour Checklist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With age corrected for prematurity, moderately preterm children scored below term peers on Receptive Communication skills (11.05 ± 2.58 vs 12.02 ± 2.74, p=0.02). Without correcting age for prematurity, moderately preterm children scored below term born peers on Cognition (8.97 ± 2.11 vs 10.68 ± 2.35, p<0.001), Fine Motor (10.33 ± 2.15 vs 11.96 ± 2.15, p<0.001), Gross Motor (8.47 ± 2.55 vs 9.39±2.80, p=0.05), Receptive Communication (10.09 ± 2.48 vs 12.02 ± 2.74, p<0.001) and Expressive Communication (10.33 ± 2.43 vs 11.49 ± 2.51, p=0.005) skills. Compared with term peers, more moderately preterm children showed a (mild) delay (ie, scaled score <7) in gross motor skills with age uncorrected for prematurity (20.7% vs 11.2%, p=0.04). Moderately preterm children had more internalising behaviour problems than term children (44.76 ± 8.94 vs 41.54 ± 8.56, p=0.03). No group differences were found in percentages of (sub)clinical scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At the age of 2 years, uncorrected for prematurity, differences in cognition, communication, and motor development were present in moderately preterm children compared with term born peers. After correcting age for prematurity, a difference was only found for receptive communication skills. In addition, moderately preterm children show more internalising behaviour problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marjanneke
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6148-6006
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marjolein
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verhoeven
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Tergooi Hospital, Blaricum, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Carole A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lasham
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Meander Medical Centre, Amersfoort, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Clemens B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Meijssen
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anneloes L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: van Baar
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
keywords: Bayley-III-NL; CBCL; behaviour; development; moderately preterm