Table 1.
Perinatal characteristics and 7 year outcomes for the very preterm (VP) and full-term (FT) groups
| Perinatal characteristics | VP, n=107 | FT, n=26 | Mean difference (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| GA at birth (weeks), mean (SD) | 27.4 (1.8) | 38.8 (1.3) | −11.4 (−12.1, −10.6) |
| Birth weight (g), mean (SD) | 970 (215) | 3195 (512) | −2225 (−2353, −2097) |
| Birth weight SD scorea, mean (SD) | −0.5 (0.9) | −0.06 (1.0) | −0.4 (−0.8, −0.02) |
| Difference in proportion (95% CI) | |||
| Male, n (%) | 46 (43.0) | 12 (46.2) | −0.03 (−0.24, 0.18) |
| Singleton, n (%) | 53 (49.5) | 24 (92.3) | −0.43 (−0.57, −0.28) |
| Small for GAb, n (%) | 9 (8.4) | 1 (3.8) | 0.05 (−0.05, 0.14) |
| Antenatal corticosteroids, n (%) | 91 (85.8)c | 0 (0) | 0.86 (0.80, 0.92) |
| Postnatal corticosteroidsd, n (%) | 4 (3.7) | 0 (0) | 0.037 (0.001, 0.073) |
| Sepsis, n (%) | 31 (29.0) | 1 (3.8) | 0.25 (0.14, 0.36) |
| Necrotising enterocolitis, n (%) | 6 (5.6) | 0 (0) | 0.06 (0.01, 0.10) |
| Infectione, n (%) | 34 (31.8) | 1 (3.8) | 0.28 (0.16, 0.39) |
| Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, n (%) | 33 (30.8) | 0 (0) | 0.31 (0.22, 0.40) |
| Intraventricular haemorrhage grade III/IV, n (%) | 1 (0.9) | 0 (0) | 0.009 (−0.009, 0.028) |
| Cystic periventricular leukomalacia, n (%) | 3 (2.8) | 0 (0) | 0.028 (−0.003, 0.059) |
| Median difference (95% CI) | |||
| Brain abnormality score, median (25th–75th percentile) | 5 (3–7)c | 1.5 (1–2) | 3.0 (1.5, 4.5) |
| 7-year characteristics | Mean difference (95% CI) | ||
| Age at scan (years), mean (SD) | 7.5 (0.3) | 7.6 (0.2) | −0.07 ( 0.17, 0.04) |
| Total intracranial volume (cm3), mean (SD) | 1326 (120) | 1430 (105) | −104 (−155, −53) |
| Age at assessment (years), mean (SD) | 7.5 (0.3) | 7.6 (0.2) | −0.07 (−0.17, 0.03) |
| Difference in proportions (95% CI) | |||
| Impaired intelligence k, n (%) | 10 (9.3) | 1 (3.8) | 0.05 (−0.04, 0.15) |
| Impaired reading k, n (%) | 18 (17.0)c | 2 (7.6) | 0.09 (−0.03, 0.22) |
| Impaired mathematics k, n (%) | 36 (34.0)c | 4 (15.4) | 0.19 (0.02, 0.35) |
| Impaired attention k, n (%) | 44 (42.7)f | 6 (23.1) | 0.20 (0.01, 0.38) |
| Impaired working memory k, n (%) | 50 (48.5)f | 3 (12.0)g | 0.37 (0.21, 0.53) |
| Impaired language k, n (%) | 21 (20.0)h | 1 (4.0)g | 0.16 (0.05, 0.27) |
| Impaired visual perception k, n (%) | 23 (23.0)i | 2 (8.0)g | 0.15 (0.02, 0.28) |
| Impaired motor ability k, n (%) | 13 (12.7)j | 2 (7.7) | 0.05 (−0.07, 0.17) |
CI= confidence interval, GA = gestational age, SD= standard deviation.
a
Computed relative to the British Growth Reference data (Cole et al. 998).
b
birth weight SD score > 2 SD below mean weight for GA.
c
n=106.
d
Postnatal dexamethasone, usual dose 0.15 mg/kg per day for 3 days, reducing over 10 days: total dose 0.89 mg/kg.
e
Proven sepsis and/or proven necrotising enterocolitis.
f
n=103.
g
n=25.
h
n=105.
i
n=100.
j
n=102.
k
Impairment was defined as scores more than 1 SD below the normative mean.