Preterm birth and early life environmental factors: neuropsychological profiles at adolescence and young adulthood

Lexuri Fernández de Gamarra-Oca; Leire Zubiaurre-Elorza; Ainara Gómez-Gastiasoro; Marta Molins-Sauri; Begoña Loureiro; Javier Peña; M Acebo García-Guerrero; Naroa Ibarretxe-Bilbao; Olga Bruna; Carme Junqué; Alfons Macaya; Maria A Poca; Natalia Ojeda

doi:10.1038/s41372-023-01727-z

Preterm birth and early life environmental factors: neuropsychological profiles at adolescence and young adulthood

J Perinatol. 2023 Nov;43(11):1429-1436. doi: 10.1038/s41372-023-01727-z. Epub 2023 Jul 15.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Vizcaya, Spain.
² Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Vizcaya, Spain. leire.zubiaurre@deusto.es.
³ Department of Basic Psychological Processes and Development, Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country, Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
⁴ School of Psychology, Education and Sport Science Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
⁵ Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Cruces University Hospital, Biocruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Vizcaya, Spain.
⁶ Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
⁷ Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
⁸ Pediatric Neurology Research Group, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
⁹ Department of Neurosurgery and Neurotraumatology and Neurosurgery Research Unit, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

PMID: 37454175
DOI: 10.1038/s41372-023-01727-z

Abstract

Objectives: To establish neuropsychological profiles after high- and low-risk preterm birth (i.e., with and without neonatal brain injury) during adolescence and young adulthood and to assess the potential role of early life environmental factors in cognition.

Study design: Participants (N = 177; M_age = 20.11 years) of both sexes were evaluated when adolescent or in young adulthood. They were grouped according to their birth status: 30 high-risk preterm, 83 low-risk preterm and 64 born at full term.

Results: Significant differences were found in several cognitive domains between groups. Furthermore, familial socioeconomic status (SES) moderated the relation between the degree of maturity/immaturity at birth and cognition (F_(5,171) = 11.94, p < 0.001, R² = 0.26).

Discussion: The findings showed different neuropsychological profiles during adolescence and young adulthood, with the high-risk preterm sample evidencing lower cognitive values. In addition, higher scores in the familial SES score in this study seem to have a protective effect on cognition.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Cognition
Female
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Male
Premature Birth*
Young Adult