title: Visual tracking in very preterm infants at 4 mo predicts neurodevelopment at 3 y of age.
abstract: Typically developing infants track moving objects with eye and head movements in a smooth and predictive way at 4 mo of age, but this ability is delayed in very preterm infants. We hypothesized that visual tracking ability in very preterm infants predicts later neurodevelopment.
  
  
  
  In 67 very preterm infants (gestational age<32 wk), eye and head movements were assessed at 4 mo corrected age while the infant tracked a moving object. Gaze gain, smooth pursuit, head movements, and timing of gaze relative the object were analyzed off line. Results of the five subscales included in the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-III) at 3 y of age were evaluated in relation to the visual tracking data and to perinatal risk factors.
  
  
  
  Significant correlations were obtained between gaze gain and cognition, receptive and expressive language, and fine motor function, respectively, also after controlling for gestational age, severe brain damage, retinopathy of prematurity, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
  
  
  
  This is the first study demonstrating that the basic ability to visually track a moving object at 4 mo robustly predicts neurodevelopment at 3 y of age in children born very preterm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ylva Fredriksson
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Kaul
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rosander
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Claes
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: von Hofsten
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.|Centre for Clinical Research Sörmland, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Katarina Strand
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Brodd
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience/Ophthalmology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Holmström
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaul
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hellström-Westas
mesh_terms: D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000503:physiopathology; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004585:Electrooculography / Q000379:methods; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D062071:Infant, Extremely Premature; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development; D007804:Language Development; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011698:Pursuit, Smooth; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000503:physiopathology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013285:Strabismus / Q000503:physiopathology; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*