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Objective: To compare transition into adulthood of survivors born extremely preterm (EP; <28 weeks' gestation) or extremely low birth weight (ELBW; <1000 g) in the postsurfactant era with term-born controls., Methods: Prospective longitudinal cohort study of all EP/ELBW survivors born in the State of Victoria, Australia between January 1, 1991 and December 31, 1992 and matched term-born controls. Outcomes include educational attainment, employment, financial status, romantic partnering, living arrangements, parenthood, physical health and mental health, risk-taking behaviors, life satisfaction, and interpersonal relationships at 25 years., Results: Data were available from 165 EP/ELBW and 127 control participants. Overall, there was little evidence for differences between the EP/ELBW and control groups on most comparisons after adjustment for social risk and multiple births. However, compared with controls, the EP/ELBW group was more likely to have their main source of income from government (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-5.13; P = .01) and to have never moved out of the parental home (aOR 2.13, 95% CI 1.27-3.58; P = .01), and fewer had ever engaged in smoking (aOR 0.52, 95% CI 0.28-0.98; P = .04), binge drinking (aOR 0.41, 95% CI 0.18-0.93; P = .03), or street drugs (aOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.32-0.98; P = .04)., Conclusions: Aside from clinically important differences in main income source, leaving the parental home, and reduced risk-taking behavior, survivors born EP/ELBW in the era since surfactant was introduced are transitioning into adulthood similarly to term-born controls in some areas assessed but not all., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Background and Objectives: To determine if executive functioning outcomes at school age are different for extremely preterm (EP; <28 weeks' gestation) or extremely low birth weight (ELBW; <1000 g birth weight) children born in 1991 to 1992, 1997, and 2005 relative to their term-born peers., Methods: Population-based cohorts of all EP/ELBW survivors born in the state of Victoria, Australia, in 1991 to 1992, 1997, and 2005, and contemporaneous controls (matched for expected date of birth, sex, mother's country of birth [English speaking or not], and health insurance status) were recruited at birth. At 7 to 8 years of age, parents of 613 children who were EP/ELBW and 564 children who were controls rated their children's executive functioning on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). The proportion of children with elevated BRIEF scores (in the clinically significant range) in each birth group and era was compared by using logistic regression. Sensitivity analyses explored these associations after excluding children with intellectual impairment., Results: Across the eras, EP/ELBW children had higher rates of elevated scores than controls in almost all BRIEF domains. The 2005 EP/ELBW cohort had increased executive dysfunction compared with earlier cohorts, particularly in working memory and planning and organization. This effect persisted after accounting for demographic factors and weakened slightly when those with intellectual impairment were excluded., Conclusions: These results indicate a concerning trend of increasing executive dysfunction for EP/ELBW children who were born more recently. This may have adverse implications for other functional domains, such as academic achievement and social-emotional well-being., Competing Interests: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2018 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Objectives: Cognitive and behavioral impairments of children born extremely preterm (EP) (<28 weeks' gestation) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) (<1000 g) may change with age. We assessed the individual stability of behavioral executive function (EF) from 8 to 18 years of age in children born EP or ELBW and their academic outcomes., Methods: Participants comprised 180 children born EP or ELBW from a large geographic cohort. We investigated the frequency of 4 developmental groups (persistent, remitting, late-onset, and typical development) on the basis of dichotomized scores (typical versus elevated) at ages 8 and 18 years in 2 indices (the Behavioral Regulation Index [BRI] and the Metacognition Index [MCI]) of the parental form of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. Adolescent academic outcomes were measured by using the word reading, spelling, and math computation subtests of the Wide Range Achievement Test, Fourth Edition., Results: Most participants had a typical EF (BRI 61%, MCI 53%), followed by persistent (BRI 15%, MCI 16%), late-onset (BRI 12%, MCI 19%), or remitting (BRI 12%, MCI 13%) executive difficulties. Groups with executive impairments at age 18 years (persistent and late onset) had poorer academic outcomes than the typical and remitting groups. Shifting impairment categories between 8 and 18 years old was relevant to later academic outcomes., Conclusions: Most children showed stable and age-appropriate EF, although persistent and transient difficulties were observed and related to uneven academic outcomes. Studying the origins and consequences of the developmental stability of EF may contribute to the development of interventions to decrease the adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm birth., Competing Interests: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Background and Objective: Survival of extremely preterm (EP; <28 weeks' gestation) infants has increased over the last 2 decades. Equivalent reductions in developmental morbidity in early childhood have not been consistently reported. The aim of this study was to determine trends in neurodevelopmental outcomes at 8 years of age of children born EP (22-27 completed weeks' gestation) over the past 2 decades., Methods: Population-based cohorts of all EP survivors born in the state of Victoria, Australia in 1991-1992, 1997, and 2005 were recruited at birth. At 8 years of age, general intelligence (IQ), academic achievement, and neurosensory status were assessed. Major neurosensory disability was defined as any of moderate or severe cerebral palsy, IQ <-2 SD relative to term controls, blindness, or deafness., Results: Rates of major neurosensory disability were similar in all eras (1991-1992, 18%; 1997, 15%; 2005, 18%), as were rates of IQ <-2 SD, cerebral palsy, blindness, and deafness. Mean z scores for IQ were similar across eras, but there was some evidence that scores for academic achievement were lower in 2005 than in 1997, and the odds of having academic problems were higher in 2005 than in both earlier eras. These outcomes were not explained by differences in known perinatal care or sociodemographic variables between eras., Conclusions: Contrary to expectations, rates of major neurosensory disability have not improved, and academic performance is poorer at early school age in 2005 than in earlier eras for EP children born in the state of Victoria, Australia., Competing Interests: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Background and Objectives: Extremely preterm (EP; <28 weeks) birth and extremely low birth weight (ELBW; <1000 g) are risk factors for poor cognitive outcomes, including in executive function (EF; higher-order cognitive skills necessary for goal-directed, adaptive functioning and important for academic and behavioral-emotional outcomes). We aimed to (1) extend the limited data on EF in EP/ELBW survivors in adolescence compared with normal birth weight controls, and (2) determine changes in EF between ages 8 and 17 years in both groups., Methods: Two hundred twenty-eight EP/ELBW and 166 control adolescents (mean age, 17 years) from a prospective geographical cohort were assessed with multiple EF tasks, and parent- and self-ratings of behavioral EF. The Rey Complex Figure and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function parent report were also administered at age 8 years, enabling examination of change in scores between childhood and adolescence., Results: EP/ELBW adolescents performed more poorly than controls in verbal processing speed, attentional control, cognitive flexibility, and goal-setting (effect sizes, -0.7 to -0.2 SD), but not psychomotor reaction time. Group differences were of similar magnitude across tasks. From childhood to late adolescence, EP/ELBW children improved their accuracy of the Rey Complex Figure copy more than controls. According to parents, executive behaviors were largely stable over time in both groups., Conclusions: Adolescents born EP/ELBW have poorer EF skills across multiple domains than controls. From childhood to late adolescence, different aspects of EF improved, but others did not, underscoring the need for multidomain, longitudinal assessments in this high-risk population., (Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)