# Assessment of Post-Discharge Growth Pattern After Initial Growth Faltering and Its Association with the Neurodevelopment Status in Preterm Infants: A Cohort Study

## TL;DR

This study found that preterm infants who experience growth faltering have slower post-discharge growth and lower neurodevelopment scores compared to those who do not.

## Contribution

The study identifies a long-term association between initial growth faltering and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants.

## Key findings

- GF infants had lower weight z-scores at 3 and 6 months compared to birth median values.
- GF infants did not achieve birth z-score values in weight by 24 months corrected age.
- NGF infants scored higher in language and motor development assessments at 2 years.

## Abstract

Background: Preterm infants are at risk of growth faltering at term age. Our primary objective is to assess post-discharge growth patterns in these infants and investigate the association between growth faltering and neurodevelopment. Methods: We divided the sample into two groups according to growth during the initial hospital stay: infants who suffered from growth faltering (GF, loss of >1 weight z-score from birth to 36 weeks postmenstrual age, n = 115) and infants who did not suffer from GF (non-growth faltering, NGF, n = 85). Results: The NFG group weight z-score was significantly lower at 36 postmenstrual ages (PMA) compared to birth (p < 0.001), at 1-year corrected age (CA), it was significantly higher than at birth (p = 0.0026), and by 2 years CA, there were no differences compared to the birth z-scores. In the GF infants’ group, statistical differences were found at all time points. At 3 and 6 months, CA GF infants were still in weight z-score values lower than −1 point compared to the birth median value. At 12 and 24 months CA, they still had not achieved birth z-score values (p < 0.001). In the Parent Report of Children’s Abilities-Revised (PARCA), NGF infants had a higher score in the language development scale at 2 years than GF infants (88.5 [78.5; 96.5] vs. 84.5 [69.5; 91.5], p = 0.03). The Bayley-III test was available for 35 infants. We found a significant difference in motor development, with a higher score in the NGF group (94 [88; 100] vs. 85 [79; 91], p = 0.03). Conclusions: In this cohort study, GF is associated with growth differences till 2 years CA, and with lower scores in neurodevelopment assessment.