General movements and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years of age in infants born very preterm

Aim: To investigate the relationship between quality of general movements and neurodevelopmental outcomes in 2-year-old infants born very preterm (VPT). Method: This was a retrospective cohort study including infants born before 32 weeks' gestation. General movements video recordings at 3 months corrected age were assessed with the Motor Optimality Score-Revised (MOS-R) and child cognitive, language, and motor development at 2 years with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition. Results: The study included 316 infants (52.5% male, mean [SD] gestational age 28.7 [2.3] weeks, birthweight z-score -0.14 [0.85]). The median MOS-R total score was 23. The mean cognitive composite, language, and motor scores were 102.0 (15.4), 92.1 (16.1), and 95.8 (15.3) respectively. Higher MOS-R total scores were related to better cognitive (p = 0.025) and motor development (p = 0.042). However, associations weakened when controlling for socioeconomic status, gestational age, birthweight, sex, and number of severe neonatal morbidities (i.e. severe brain lesion, necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and retinopathy of prematurity). Interpretation: While the quality of general movements at 3 months corrected age is associated with the infant's cognitive and motor development at 2 years corrected age, it might have no incremental predictive power beyond socioeconomic status and the number of severe neonatal morbidities.