title: Impact of Respiratory Morbidities on Neurodevelopmental Outcome of Late Preterm Infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to evaluate impact of respiratory and other neonatal comorbidities on neurodevelopmental outcome in late preterm infants (LPT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of LPT infants (34 (0/7)-36 (6/7) weeks' gestation) discharged from the New York University Langone Medical Center neonatal intensive care unit, during January 2006 to December 2010 and received follow-up care up to 2 years of age. Neonatal morbidities were correlated with neurodevelopmental outcomes and assessed by performance on the Mullen Scales of Early Learning during three developmental follow-up visits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 99 LPT completed neurodevelopmental assessment up to 2 years of age. Infants with diagnosis of moderate-to-severe respiratory distress syndrome showed a significantly lower performance in the visual reception on the second (p<0.01) and third visit (p=0.02), as well as lower performance in the receptive language (visit 2, p=0.02; visit 3, p<0.01). A diagnosis of persistent pulmonary hypertension was found to be associated with significantly lower performance in the visual reception at all visits (p<0.01; p=0.02; p=0.02) and in the receptive language on the second and third visit (p=0.03; p=0.02). Combined respiratory morbidities were also associated with lower developmental scores in fine motor (visit 2, p<0.01; visit 3, p=0.04) as well as expressive language (visit 3, p=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LPT with significant respiratory morbidities are at higher risk for long-term developmental delays, mainly affecting cognitive developmental domains.
authors.affiliation: New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Elena V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Wachtel
authors.affiliation: New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaccario
authors.affiliation: New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Pradeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mally
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010547:Persistent Fetal Circulation Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D059245:Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn / Q000453:epidemiology*