Growth after late-preterm birth and adult cognitive, academic, and mental health outcomes

Background: Late-preterm birth (at 340/7–366/7 weeks’ gestation) increases the risk of early growth faltering, poorer neurocognitive functioning, and lower socio-economic attainment. Among early-preterm individuals, faster early growth benefits neurodevelopment, but it remains unknown whether these benefits extend to late-preterm individuals. Methods: In 108 late-preterm individuals, we examined if weight, head, or length growth between birth, 5 and 20 months’ corrected age, and 56 months, predicted grade point average and special education in comprehensive school, or neurocognitive abilities and psychiatric diagnoses/symptoms at 24–26 years of age. Results: For every 1 SD faster weight and head growth from birth to 5 months, and head growth from 5 to 20 months, participants had 0.19–0.41 SD units higher IQ, executive functioning score, and grade point average (95% confidence intervals 0.002–0.59 SD), and lower odds of special education (OR=0.49–0.59, 95% confidence intervals 0.28–0.97), after adjusting for sex, gestational age, follow-up age, and parental education. Faster head growth from 20 to 56 months was associated with less internalizing problems; otherwise we found no consistent associations with mental health outcomes. Conclusions: Faster growth during the critical early period after late-preterm birth is associated with better adult neurocognitive functioning, but not consistently with mental health outcomes