Preterm Children in Iceland: Neonatal Morbidities and Motor Development in the First Two Years, and Later Disability Diagnosis

ABSTRACT Aim Icelandic data on outcomes after preterm birth are limited. The aim was to describe neonatal morbidities, motor development up to 24 months, and examine whether morbidities predicted disability. Method It was a retrospective cohort study of 318 children born < 32 weeks of gestation and/or weighing < 1 000 g, who were followed at the University Hospital of Iceland from January 2012 to December 2020. Motor development was assessed using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale to 15 months, and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development–III motor scales at 12 and 24 months. Associations between neonatal morbidities and outcomes were examined using correlation and multivariable regression. Results Neonatal morbidities were more common in children born < 28 weeks of gestation and/or weighed < 1 000 g, who also had higher rates of later disability diagnoses. Motor performance to 24 months was below test norms in this group, but morbidities were not associated with motor scale outcomes. In the cohort of children born before 32 weeks of gestation, cumulative neonatal morbidity burden independently predicted later disability, with adjusted odds increasing by approximately 60% per additional morbidity. Conclusion Children born more prematurely had greater morbidity and disability risk. Cumulative neonatal morbidity predicted later disability, supporting long‐term follow‐up.