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Stegmann-Woessner G, Bartmann P, Mitschdoerfer B, Wolke D. Forever premature: Adults born preterm and their life challenges. Early Hum Dev 2025; 204:106248. [PMID: 40101349 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2025] [Revised: 03/08/2025] [Accepted: 03/11/2025] [Indexed: 03/20/2025]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adults born preterm face greater social, cognitive, mental and physical challenges in adulthood than their full term born peers according to longitudinal studies. In contrast, little is known about the lived experiences of adults born preterm. OBJECTIVE The study investigates the lived experiences of adults born preterm across the life course and their views on health care support. METHODS A qualitative study of 21 participants completing semi structured interviews analyzed through content analysis. RESULTS Over half of adults born preterm report trauma and feeling of otherness since early childhood, high sensitivity to the environment, higher introversion/shyness and social or performance related anxiety. Over half reported that their parents were traumatized by the preterm birth and tried to compensate by overprotective parenting that, however, stifled them becoming independent. Over half experienced bullying victimization and many have continuing mental health problems. Overload by demands in school or work is a consistent theme that makes it hard to have the energy to socialize. Many received physical therapy in childhood and most had psychotherapy in adulthood. Many feel that health professionals trivialize the long-term effects of prematurity and most find support from their parents or peer network. CONCLUSIONS Prematurity has significantly shaped the life of adults born preterm. Greater awareness and recognition of the unique needs of this group are essential to provide adequate support. Existing services fail to address these needs highlighting an urgent demand for enhanced social and psychological services for educational and workplace settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaby Stegmann-Woessner
- Bundesverband "Das frühgeborene Kind" e.V., Darmstädter Landstr. 213, 60598 Frankfurt, Germany; Department of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care, University Hospital Bonn, Venusbergcampus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Peter Bartmann
- Department of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care, University Hospital Bonn, Venusbergcampus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Barbara Mitschdoerfer
- Bundesverband "Das frühgeborene Kind" e.V., Darmstädter Landstr. 213, 60598 Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Dieter Wolke
- University of Warwick, Department of Psychology, Coventry, UK; Warwick Medical School, Division of Health Sciences, CV4 7AL Coventry, UK.
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Sun H, Vernetti A, Spann M, Chawarska K, Ment L, Scheinost D. White-matter controllability at birth predicts social engagement and language outcomes in toddlerhood. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.02.19.638284. [PMID: 40027793 PMCID: PMC11870462 DOI: 10.1101/2025.02.19.638284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2025]
Abstract
Social engagement and language are connected through early development. Alterations in their development can have a prolonged impact on children's lives. However, the role of white matter at birth in this ongoing connection is less well-known. Here, we investigate how white matter at birth jointly supports social engagement and language outcomes in 642 infants. We use edge-centric network control theory to quantify edge controllability, or the ability of white-matter connections to drive transitions between diverse brain states, at 1 month. Next, we used connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) to predict the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) for social engagement risks and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III) for language skills at 18 months from edge controllability. We created the social engagement network (SEN) to predict Q-CHAT scores and the language network (LAN) to predict BSID-III scores. The SEN and LAN were complex, spanning the whole brain. They also significantly overlapped in anatomy and generalized across measures. Controllability in the SEN at 1 month partially mediated associations between Q-CHAT and BSID-III language scores at 18 months. Further, controllability in the SEN significantly differed between term and preterm infants and predicted Q-CHAT scores in an external sample of preterm infants. Together, our results suggest that the intertwined nature of social engagement and language development is rooted in an infant's white-matter controllability. Significance Statement During infancy and toddlerhood, social engagement and language emerge together. Delays are often observed in both simultaneously. These interactions persist into later childhood, potentially affecting life quality. We reveal that the interplay between social engagement and language milestones in toddlerhood is rooted in the infant's structural connectivity, which may assist in early risk identification of developmental delays. Insights into the early brain foundations for emerging social engagement and language skills may open opportunities for individualized interventions to improve developmental outcomes.
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Menu I, Ji L, Bhatia T, Duffy M, Hendrix CL, Thomason ME. Beyond average outcomes: A latent profile analysis of diverse developmental trajectories in preterm and early term-born children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. Child Dev 2025; 96:36-54. [PMID: 39136075 PMCID: PMC11693488 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
Preterm birth poses a major public health challenge, with significant and heterogeneous developmental impacts. Latent profile analysis was applied to the National Institutes of Health Toolbox performance of 1891 healthy prematurely born children from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study (970 boys, 921 girls; 10.00 ± 0.61 years; 1.3% Asian, 13.7% Black, 17.5% Hispanic, 57.0% White, 10.4% Other). Three distinct neurocognitive profiles emerged: consistently performing above the norm (19.7%), mixed scores (41.0%), and consistently performing below the norm (39.3%). These profiles were associated with lasting cognitive, neural, behavioral, and academic differences. These findings underscore the importance of recognizing diverse developmental trajectories in prematurely born children, advocating for personalized diagnosis and intervention to enhance care strategies and long-term outcomes for this heterogeneous population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Menu
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
| | - Lanxin Ji
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
| | - Tanya Bhatia
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
| | - Mark Duffy
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
| | - Cassandra L. Hendrix
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
| | - Moriah E. Thomason
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
- Department of Population Health, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
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Duko B, Mengistu TS, Stacey D, Moran LJ, Tessema G, Pereira G, Bedaso A, Gebremedhin AT, Alati R, Ayonrinde OT, Benyamin B, Lee SH, Hyppönen E. Associations between maternal preconception and pregnancy adiposity and neuropsychiatric and behavioral outcomes in the offspring: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res 2024; 342:116149. [PMID: 39278191 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Abstract
Maternal adiposity (overweight or obesity) has been associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, although the potential risks of long-term neuropsychiatric and behavioral outcomes in the offspring remain unclear. Using the PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify studies on maternal adiposity and offspring neuropsychiatric outcomes. Inverse variance-weighted random-effects meta-analyses were used to pool effect estimates with 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) from adjusted odds ratios (OR) and hazard ratios (HR). Estimates were computed separately for preconception and pregnancy maternal overweight and obesity, with outcomes stratified by the type of neuropsychiatric outcome. In our meta-analyses of 42 epidemiological studies involving 3,680,937 mother-offspring pairs, we found increased risks of ADHD [OR=1.57, 95 % CI: 1.42-1.74], autism spectrum disorder [OR=1.42, 95 % CI: 1.22-1.65], conduct disorder [OR=1.16, 95 % CI: 1.00-1.35], Psychotic disorder [HR=1.61, 95 % CI: 1.41-1.83], externalizing behaviors [OR=1.30, 95 % CI: 1.07-1.56] and peer relationship problems [OR=1.25, 95 % CI: 1.04-1.27] in the offspring of preconception obese mothers. Similar increased risks were found in the offspring of preconception overweight mothers and those exposed to maternal adiposity during pregnancy. However, no association was found with offspring mood, anxiety, personality, eating, sleep disorders or prosocial problems. Preconception weight management may mitigate such adverse effects in the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bereket Duko
- Australian Centre for Precision Health, Unit of Clinical & Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
| | - Tesfaye S Mengistu
- Australian Centre for Precision Health, Unit of Clinical & Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston Queensland, Australia
| | - David Stacey
- Australian Centre for Precision Health, Unit of Clinical & Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Lisa J Moran
- Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gizachew Tessema
- Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia; enAble Institute, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Gavin Pereira
- Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia; enAble Institute, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Asres Bedaso
- The Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney, A Joint Venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Amanuel Tesfay Gebremedhin
- Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia; School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, WA 6027, Australia
| | - Rosa Alati
- Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia; enAble Institute, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Oyekoya T Ayonrinde
- Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fiona Stanley Hospital, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Beben Benyamin
- Australian Centre for Precision Health, Unit of Clinical & Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; Unit of Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - S Hong Lee
- Australian Centre for Precision Health, Unit of Clinical & Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; Unit of Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Elina Hyppönen
- Australian Centre for Precision Health, Unit of Clinical & Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
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Msall ME, Lagatta JM, Bora S. Optimizing trajectories of social adaptive competencies after extreme prematurity during the first 1000 days. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med 2024; 29:101531. [PMID: 38632009 PMCID: PMC11156543 DOI: 10.1016/j.siny.2024.101531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Over 75% of surviving extremely preterm infants do not have major neurodevelopmental disabilities; however, more than half face difficulties with communication, coordination, attention, learning, social, and executive function abilities. These "minor" challenges can have a negative impact on educational and social outcomes, resulting in physical, behavioral, and social health problems in adulthood. We will review assessment tools for social-emotional and adaptive functional skills in early childhood as these determine family and early childhood supports. We highlight bronchopulmonary dysplasia as an example of the critical intersections of parental wellbeing, medical and developmental adaptive trajectories in infancy and early childhood, and partnerships between child neurologists and community medical and developmental professionals. We examine studies of engaging parents to promote developmental trajectories, with a focus on supporting parent-child interactions that underlie communication, social-adaptive behaviors, and learning in the first 1000 days of life. Recommendations for neurodevelopmental surveillance and screening of extremely preterm infants can also be applied to infants with other risk factors for altered neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Msall
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and Kennedy Research Center on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Joanne M Lagatta
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
| | - Samudragupta Bora
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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