Table 1.
Participant characteristics.
| Variable | Very Preterm (n = 145) | Term-born (n = 33) |
|---|---|---|
| Gestational age at birth (weeks) – median (range) | 28 (10) | 39 (4) |
| Birth weight (g) – median (range) | 955 (1011) | 3300 (1900) |
| Females – n (%) | 74 (51.7) | 17 (51.5) |
| Singleton – n (%) | 72 (50.3) | 31 (93.9) |
| IVH grade III/IV – n (%) | 5 (3.5) | 0 (0) |
| Cystic PVL – n (%) | 5 (3.5) | 0 (0) |
| BPD – n (%) | 43 (30.1) | 0 (0) |
| Postnatal corticosteroids – n (%) | 7 (4.9) | 0 (0) |
| Antenatal corticosteroids – n (%) | 127 (88.8) | 0 (0) |
| Patent ductus arteriosus – n (%) | 67 (46.9) | 0 (0) |
| Small for gestational age – n (%) | 12 (8.4) | 1 (3.0) |
| Length of hospital stay (days) – median (IQR) | 78 (30) | 5 (2) |
| Age at 7-year scan (years) – mean (SD) | 7.5 (0.3) | 7.6 (0.2) |
| Language Content Index – mean (SD)a | 97.8 (15.2) | 110.1 (9.4) |
| Language Structure Index – mean (SD)b | 95.6 (15.6) | 107.4 (12.2) |
| Phonological Processing – mean (SD)c | 9.6 (3.1) | 10.8 (2.6) |
BPD = bronchopulmonary dysplasia; IQR = inter-quartile range; IVH = intraventricular haemorrhage, PVL = periventricular leukomalacia; SD = standard deviation.
a
Missing data in 2 children.
b
missing data in 5 children
c
missing data in 2 children.