Outcome monitoring in preterm populations: Measures and methods

Abstract

Routine neurodevelopmental follow-up is crucial in high-risk populations, such as those born very preterm. Even in the absence of severe neurosensory impairment, very preterm children are at risk for a range of long-term cognitive, motor, and learning deficits. Infant developmental assessments are typically carried out at 2 years of age for both clinical and research purposes, and they are crucial for outcome monitoring. We review psychometric tests of infant developmental functioning most widely used as outcome measures for very preterm infants and other high-risk populations. We also consider parent-based assessments and methodological issues pertaining to the use of these tools in large-scale research studies and in outcome monitoring in this population.