Measuring developmental deficit in children born at gestational age less than 26 weeks using a parent-completed developmental questionnaire

AIM: To assess developmental deficit in children born at gestational age (GA) < 26 wk using a parental questionnaire and to use regression analysis to study a cohort born in 1999-2003.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three groups were studied: group 1, GA < 26 wk; group 2, GA 26-27 wk; group 3, children born at term. The Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) was used. The parents of each child were mailed an age-specific questionnaire between November 2004 and April 2005. The term children were used as a reference to calculate a standard deviation score (ASQ-SDS) for each child in the two preterm groups.

RESULTS: Seventy-five per cent of the questionnaires were returned (group 1: n=61; group 2: n=57; group 3: n=72). The age at scoring ranged from 12 to 60 mo (mean 32.8 mo). After correction for parental education, 22% of the children born at GA < 26 wk and 13% of those at GA 26-27 wk had an ASQ-SDS below -2. Chronic lung disease of prematurity was associated with developmental deficit (mean difference -1.1 ASQ-SDS, p=0.004).

CONCLUSION: The ASQ identified a significant developmental deficit in the children born extremely preterm. The rate of 22%, however, in children born at GA < 26 wk is reassuring.