Assessment of preterm children's early development

Abstract

Preterm birth is an event that affects the child's healthy development. Several studies have addressed the evaluation of children born preterm and the influence that multiple risk factors have on the course of their development. This study performed a systematic review of the literature from 2000 to 2005 about the evaluation of the development of children born preterm until the age of 24 months. The biological risk factors were present in every study, with highlights on intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, chronic pulmonary disease, and retardation of intrauterine development as the most studied risks. The child's motor development was the most studied area. In terms of age, the first evaluations focused on the first six months of life. Neonatal risk, low birth weight, baby boys, cerebral injuries, and first-week abnormal spontaneous movements were predicting factors of preterm child development at the age of two years.