Children born extremely preterm (EP) and/or extremely low birthweight (ELBW) face increased risk of academic difficulties and gaps exist in providing educational support. Parental perceptions of academic competence influence educational support access; however, little is known about parental perceptions in the EP/ELBW population.

The earlier a baby is born, the greater the risk for developing complications, particularly relating to the development of the brain and neurological development. Common conditions seen with premature infants are periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), also known as white matter injury, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and hydrocephalus. These conditions may result in varying degrees of structural damage to the brain parenchyma. This paper aims to discuss the shared pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical presentation, and current treatment approaches for PVL, IVH and hydrocephalus in premature infants with a focus on future research directions at improving neurodevelopmental outcomes. While the basic science continues to evolve rapidly, it is essential that future work prioritizes clinical translatability. Our review highlights an urgent need for therapies that balance efficacy and safety in these vulnerable patient populations. Collaborative efforts between clinicians and researchers will be vital to bridge this gap and ultimately improve outcomes for preterm infants affected by PVL, IVH, and hydrocephalus.

In studies of term infants, in-utero low level lead exposure was associated with developmental neurotoxicity, including abnormal auditory neural myelination (ANM). However, this association has not been well-studied in premature infants who may be more susceptible to lead associated developmental neurotoxicity.

To thoroughly explore how exposure to heat or cold influences the preterm birth (PTB) risk in different time windows.

Advances in perinatal care have improved survival rates of preterm infants; however, concerns regarding their neurodevelopmental outcomes persist. This study investigates the relationship between intraindividual variability (IIV) in sleep duration and crystallized intelligence in very low birth weight (VLBW) children at the preschool stage. This study had 38 participants, including 18 VLBW children and 20 full-term children aged 5 to 6 years. Sleep duration was assessed using actigraphy and sleep diaries, while crystallized intelligence was evaluated using the Achievement Scale (ACH) of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC). Statistical analyses, including correlation and multiple regression analyses, were conducted to examine the effect of preterm birth on the relationship between sleep variability and learning outcomes. The results revealed that sleep duration IIV adversely affected ACH scores of preterm children but had no impact on those of full-term children. In multiple regression analysis, the interaction term between sleep variability and preterm birth significantly predicted ACH scores (p = 0.032), suggesting that early childhood learning in preterm children is more vulnerable to the effects of sleep instability. Additionally, among VLBW children, older age was associated with lower ACH scores, implying that learning difficulties may become more pronounced with age. These results show the potential role of sleep regulatory mechanisms in cognitive development. The findings show the importance of monitoring and supporting healthy sleep habits in preterm children to mitigate potential learning difficulties. Early interventions targeting sleep stability may play a critical role in improving academic performance in this high-risk population.

To evaluate short-term and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18-24 months in infants with mild hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH), a population with limited long-term outcome data.

To evaluate Egyptian children's anthropometric measures, hematological parameters, and nutritional indicators with cow's milk allergy (CMA) compared to healthy controls and assessed if these variables had gender-specific relationships.

Of 13.4 million children born preterm each year globally, 12 million are born in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Children born very preterm (<32 weeks gestation; VP) and/or with very low birth weight (<1500 g; VLBW) may grow up with low health-related quality of life (HRQoL); however, information on this topic remains scarce in LMICs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare HRQoL between children born VP/VLBW and their term-born peers in Brazil.

Responsive caregiving is a key component of nurturing care and crucial for early child development. While responsive caregiving has been examined in multiple studies, a comprehensive review summarizing findings from these studies across diverse caregiver, child, cultural, and socio-economic contexts is currently lacking.

Compared with formula-fed infants, those who are breast-fed consistently demonstrate superior immune maturation, neurodevelopment, and cognitive performance, an advantage attributable, in part, to the complex bioactive lipidome of human milk. This review highlights the mechanistic roles of milk-derived phospholipids and sphingolipids in orchestrating these benefits. It critically evaluates their emerging clinical applications in preventing infection, allergy, and neurodevelopmental disorders, thereby establishing a framework for future strategies to optimize infant nutrition and developmental trajectories.

One in five pregnant women/birthing people carry group B streptococcus in the gut or genital tract, and over half of them will pass it to their child during pregnancy, labour (most commonly) or after birth. Most babies exposed to maternal GBS remain well, but 1 in 1750 newborns in the UK and Ireland develop early-onset GBS infection. Introducing routine testing for group B streptococcus (GBS) for all pregnant women and birthing people in late pregnancy may reduce cases of early-onset infection in the newborn but would likely increase the number of women given antibiotics during labour. The GBS3 trial (ISRCTN49639731) is a cluster-randomised trial involving approximately 320,000 women/birthing people from 80 maternity units in England and Wales. It will determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of routine testing, compared to the current risk-factor based strategy.

Congenital malformations of the kidney and/or urinary tract (CAKUT) are nowadays widely detected prenatally and are the first cause of end-stage renal disease and kidney transplantation in children.

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is standard practice for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Persistently abnormal amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) background patterns are associated with adverse outcomes. We aimed to determine neurodevelopmental outcomes at age five and the predictive value of aEEG.

The aim of this research was to assess the feasibility and reproducibility of first-trimester biometric and volumetric measurements of the fetal urinary tract (FUT) using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound (US) and Virtual Reality (VR), and to establish reference curves. In a prospective cohort, 2D- and 3D-US datasets of pregnancies (gestational age (GA) 11-14 weeks) were obtained. Novel biometric and volumetric FUT measurements were performed using 3D VR and compared with 2D US measurements. Reproducibility was evaluated through intra-, interobserver and intersystem agreement (ICC, Bland-Altman). All measurements were plotted against GA to create reference curves. A total of 108 3D-US datasets (mean GA 12 weeks (SD 5 days) mean CRL 67 mm (SD 9.0 mm)) were selected randomly. Using 3D VR, intra- and interobserver analyses showed moderate-good agreement for all FUT measurements (ICCs >0.77) and renal calyces (ICCs 0.51-0.83). Volumetric measurements showed the highest agreement (ICC >0.96). Comparison of 2D-US and 3D VR demonstrated good agreement (ICC 0.81). Mean relative differences were <10 % for all measurements except coronal renal calyx measurements. All FUT dimensions increased with GA and reference curve were constructed. First-trimester FUT measurements using 3D VR are feasible and reproducible, except for renal calyces. These measurements provide an in-vivo description of early FUT growth with potential diagnostic value for anomalies.

To evaluate the suitability (feasibility and ease of use) of a novel, wireless, non-adhesive device for cardiorespiratory monitoring directly after birth.

It is recommended that General Movements Assessment, Hammersmith Infant Neurologic Examination (HINE) and magnetic resonance imaging be used together for the early identification of infants at risk for neurodevelopmental problems. This study aimed to investigate the agreement and relationship between the Motor Optimality Score-Revised (MOS-R) and HINE.

This study aimed to examine the associations between digit ratio (2D:4D), handgrip strength (HGS), and aggression in young adults, proposing a biobehavioral model to elucidate the biological foundations of aggressive behavior. Sex differences in these associations were also explored.

To assess early language development in infants with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH) who survived without functional motor deficits, and to identify potential neonatal predictive markers for early language delay (ELD).

The 2017 international guidelines for early detection of cerebral palsy (CP) provide a framework for identifying and managing infants at risk. Yet their implementation in clinical practice remains limited in some settings and countries. This study aimed to implement these guidelines in a Spanish tertiary hospital and assess their impact on the timing of CP diagnosis and referral to early intervention. A pre/post observational design was used, structured around a three-phase implementation strategy: (1) planning and preparation, (2) installation, and (3) early implementation of systematic screening of infants with "high-risk" markers. We compared a historical baseline cohort (born 2017-2021, n = 18 children diagnosed with CP) and an implementation cohort (born 2022-2023, n = 57 enrolled, n = 4 children diagnosed with CP). Among infants with CP in the implementation cohort, referral to early intervention occurred at a mean corrected age of 1.9 months, "high-risk" of CP designation at 3.7 months, and CP diagnosis at 9.2 months. In the baseline period, mean age at diagnosis was 17.4 months, yielding a mean reduction of 8.2 months during implementation (95 % CI: -13.8 to -2.6, p < 0.05). Twelve key recommendations were partially (50 %) or consistently (20 %) applied. Findings support the feasibility of implementing the guidelines and suggest improved identification and surveillance outcomes, including earlier diagnosis. Structured implementation pathways are needed to integrate these practices into routine care and promote equitable access across health systems.

There are few reports describing endotracheal tube (ETT) position changes due to neck rotation. Modifying ultrasonographic measurements of ETT tip and aortic distance, we aim to clarify the ETT tip position changes due to neck rotation.

Non-nutritive suck (NNS; sucking without feeding) is among the earliest oromotor behaviors in infants and has been shown to be associated with future neurodevelopmental outcomes. Prior work has shown that by 12 months, NNS bursts become shorter and stronger compared to 3 months, but when this shift occurs within the first year remains unclear. Twenty-four full-term infants participated in this prospective, longitudinal study with repeated measures at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Infants sucked on a custom pacifier with a pressure transducer for ∼5 min. NNS outcomes included burst duration (s), frequency (Hz), amplitude (cmH₂O), bursts/min, cycles/burst, and cycles/min. As infants aged, their NNS patterns changed significantly. By nine months, the suck duration, bursts/min, cycles/burst, and cycles/min had decreased and by twelve months, these measures showed even further reduction, reflecting continued changes in sucking across the first year of life. The most pronounced NNS changes occurred between 6 and 9 months, coinciding with the introduction of solids and a decreased reliance on NNS. These findings highlight when NNS patterns shift during infancy, providing a reference for identifying age-appropriate targets for infants. This study emphasizes the dynamic nature of NNS during infancy and underscores the need for further assessment and exploration of its developmental trajectory.