Association of Socioeconomic Status and Brain Injury With Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Very Preterm Children

Key Points

Question

Does the association of brain injury with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm neonates vary by the socioeconomic status of the parents?

Findings

In this cohort study of 226 preterm neonates, cognitive and motor outcomes were associated with different prenatal and postnatal clinical factors, with maternal education and brain injury having similar effect sizes for cognitive outcomes. Importantly, cognitive scores in preterm children in the higher-status group did not differ between those with and without brain injury.

Meaning

Maternal education is associated with cognitive outcome in preterm neonates, with higher status appearing to attenuate the association of brain injury with neurodevelopmental outcome.

Abstract

This cohort study evaluates the association of maternal education and brain injury with neurodevelopmental outcomes in children born very prematurely in Canada.

Abstract

Importance

Studies of socioeconomic status and neurodevelopmental outcome in very preterm neonates have not sensitively accounted for brain injury.

Objective

To determine the association of brain injury and maternal education with motor and cognitive outcomes at age 4.5 years in very preterm neonates.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Prospective cohort study of preterm neonates (24-32 weeks’ gestation) recruited August 16, 2006, to September 9, 2013, at British Columbia Women's Hospital in Vancouver, Canada. Analysis of 4.5-year outcome was performed in 2018.

Main Outcomes and Measures

At age 4.5 years, full-scale IQ assessed using the Wechsler Primary and Preschool Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition, and motor outcome by the percentile score on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition.

Results

Of 226 survivors, neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed in 170 (80 [47.1%] female). Based on the best model to assess full-scale IQ accounting for gestational age, standardized β coefficients demonstrated the effect size of maternal education (standardized β = 0.21) was similar to that of white matter injury volume (standardized β = 0.23) and intraventricular hemorrhage (standardized β = 0.23). The observed and predicted cognitive scores in preterm children born to mothers with postgraduate education did not differ in those with and without brain injury. The best-performing model to assess for motor outcome accounting for gestational age included being small for gestational age, severe intraventricular hemorrhage, white matter injury volume, and chronic lung disease.

Conclusions and Relevance

At preschool age, cognitive outcome was comparably associated with maternal education and neonatal brain injury. The association of brain injury with poorer cognition was attenuated in children born to mothers of higher education level, suggesting opportunities to promote optimal outcomes.