Neurodevelopmental outcomes of children born preterm: analyses into the validity of data collection and outcome reports

Background and aims: Information on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of children born very preterm is required for multiple purposes. Reliable and up-to-date data sources are lacking. The overall aim of this thesis is to evaluate the validity and usability of the neurodevelopmental outcome data of very preterm children available from current data sources. The specific objectives were: 1) to examine the validity of outcome data recorded during routine follow-up assessment 2) to explore early childhood social-communication difficulties exhibited by very preterm children 3) to assess the stability over time of neurodevelopmental diagnoses made in early childhood. Methods: Three studies were conducted to meet the objectives. For studies 1 and 2, I recruited children born at