Five-Year Neurodevelopmental Outcome of Children Born Very Preterm Between 2012 and 2018

To analyze neurodevelopmental outcome of children born very preterm (born 2012 to 2018) aged 5 years in Vorarlberg, Austria. To identify medical risk factors and compare with (inter)national data.In this population-based study with prospectively collected data very preterm children underwent neurodevelopmental assessment: Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC-II) for cognitive functioning, Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC-2) for motor skills, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Preschool Version (BRIEF-P) for deficits in behavior and executive functions. Risk factors were identified using multiple linear regression.The study population (<i>n</i> = 114, 46.5% completed follow-up) showed moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disability (KABC-II IQ score <70), mild (KABC-II IQ score 70-84, M-ABC-2 total score <7, SDQ total score >90th percentile or BRIEF-P Global Executive Function score T >65), and no neurodevelopmental disability in 2.9, 31.4, and 65.7% of the children, respectively. Results were more disadvantageous for children born extremely preterm than for very preterm born children. Regarding risk factors, abnormal hearing screening, male gender, and ICH grades 3-4 were associated with poorer cognitive and motor skills.In our state-wide cohort of very preterm children, we observed a small proportion of moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disabilities of 2.9%, whereby 65.7% had no disability at 5 years. Disadvantageous outcomes are more pronounced in extremely preterm children.