Neurodevelopmental disorders in children born preterm. Early identification and intervention

Preterm birth occurs in 6-12% of pregnancies globally.

Intensive care of preterm infants has made major advance over the last decades resulting in dramatically increased survival rates for the most immature infants and a whole new generation of children entering school.

While incidence of cerebral palsy decrease, the incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders including intellectual dysfunction, ADHD and autism spectrum disorder now increase and risks are related to immaturity at birth.

In children born before 28 weeks´ gestation, two thirds eventually have neurodevelopmental impairments affecting their daily life and academic achievements.

To improve outcomes, there is a need for identifying early signs of adverse brain development and to find effective early interventions.The overarching aim is to examine the relations between modifiable perinatal risks, family risk, brain development, neurodevelopment and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children born extremely preterm to improve early prediction and outcomes.

In a randomized controlled study, we coach parents to support their preterm born infant´s development in the first year of life and then evaluate neurodevelopmental outcomes. Based on the study results and prediction models we plan to further individualize the intervention.