Association between postnatal anthropometric growth by term and high-performing neurodevelopment at age 3 years in extremely preterm infants

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between postnatal growth by term and high-performing neurodevelopment in infants born at less than 28 weeks of gestational age. METHODS: This retrospective study examined associations between anthropometric Z-scores (length, weight, head circumference) at 32, 36, and 40 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) and neurodevelopment at age 3 categorized into four groups (delay, subnormal, normal, high-performing). RESULTS: A total of 287 infants were evaluated. Body length at 40 weeks PMA was significantly associated with high-performing neurodevelopment (adjusted OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.49-2.32), followed by head circumference (adjusted OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.04-67). Changes in body length Z-scores from 36 to 40 weeks PMA were significantly associated with high-performing neurodevelopment, whereas body weight and earlier changes in Z-scores were not. CONCLUSIONS: In extremely preterm infants, body length growth by 40 weeks PMA was an independent predictor for high-performing neurodevelopment at age 3, whereas body weight and earlier growth changes did not.