title: Early Emergence of Delayed Social Competence in Infants Born Late and Moderately Preterm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess behavioral outcomes and social competence at 2 years of age in infants born late and moderately preterm (LMPT; 32-36 wk gestation).
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand one hundred and thirty LMPT infants and 1255 term-born (≥37 wk) controls were recruited at birth to a prospective geographical population-based study. Parents completed the Brief Infant and Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) at 2 years corrected age to assess infants' behavior problems and social competence. Cognitive development was assessed using the Parent Report of Children's Abilities-Revised. Parent questionnaires at 2 years were completed for 638 (57%) LMPT and 765 (62%) term-born infants. Group differences in the prevalence of behavior problems and delayed social competence between LMPT infants and term-born controls were adjusted for age, sex, small-for-gestational-age, socioeconomic status and cognitive impairment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Late and moderately preterm infants were at significantly increased risk of delayed social competence compared with term-born controls (26.4% vs. 18.4%; adjusted-relative risk [RR] 1.28; 95% CI, 1.03-1.58), but there was no significant group difference in the prevalence of behavior problems (21.0% vs. 17.6%; adjusted-RR 1.13, 0.89-1.42). Non-white ethnicity (RR 1.68, 1.26-2.24), medium (RR 1.60, 1.14-2.24) and high (RR 1.98, 1.41-2.75) socioeconomic risk and recreational drug use during pregnancy (RR 1.70, 1.03-2.82) were significant independent predictors of delayed social competence in LMPT infants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Birth at 32 to 36 weeks of gestation confers a specific risk for delayed social competence at 2 years of age. This may be indicative of an increased risk for psychiatric disorders later in childhood.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom; †Department of Academic Neonatology, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: Elizabeth S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Draper
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: Bradley N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Manktelow
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marlow
authors.forename: Lucy K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Elaine M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Boyle
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D066107:Social Skills