BMC Pediatr. 2025 Dec 10. doi: 10.1186/s12887-025-06391-0. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Late preterm infants (33-36 weeks gestation) are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental delays, but early signs often go unrecognized due to subtle presentations and inconsistent follow-up. While screening tools are available, few studies have examined how well parents identify developmental concerns compared to trained professionals.
AIM: To evaluate neurodevelopmental outcomes in late preterm infants at 3 and 6 months of corrected age by comparing parental and therapist-reported developmental scores, and to identify predictors influencing developmental scores.
METHODS: Sixty late preterm infants were screened using the Trivandrum Developmental Screening Tool (TDST) at discharge and followed up at 3 and 6 months of corrected age. Both therapists and parents completed the TDST independently during follow-up. Developmental scores were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors that influence parent and therapist scoring. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: At 3 months there is no significant difference between the parent and therapist TDST overall scores, while at 6 months, therapist and parent TDST overall scores showed significant difference (p < 0.001). Regression analysis identified rolling and object transfer as strong predictors of overall scores for both parent and therapist scores at 6 months.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite similar overall scores at 3 months, significant discrepancies between parent and therapist scoring emerged by 6 months. These findings emphasise the importance of caregiver education in early neurodevelopmental surveillance.
PMID:41372868 | DOI:10.1186/s12887-025-06391-0
