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Neonatal Care and Developmental Outcomes Following Preterm Birth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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Title: Neonatal Care and Developmental Outcomes Following Preterm Birth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Language: English
Authors: Or Burstein (ORCID 0000-0003-2638-8018), Tamara Aryeh, Ronny Geva (ORCID 0000-0002-5724-2153)
Source: Developmental Psychology. 2026 62(2):492-512.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 21
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Information Analyses
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Infant Care, Premature Infants, Cognitive Development, Child Development, Age Differences, Medical Services, Motor Development, Language Acquisition, Comorbidity, Resilience (Psychology)
DOI: 10.1037/dev0001844
ISSN: 0012-1649
1939-0599
Abstract: Major amendments in neonatal care have been introduced in recent decades. It is important to understand whether these amendments improved the cognitive sequelae of preterm children. Through a large-scale meta-analysis, we explored the association between prematurity-related complications, neonatal care quality, and cognitive development from birth until 7 years. MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, and EBSCO were searched. Peer-reviewed studies published between 1970 and 2022 using standardized tests were included. We evaluated differences between preterm and full-term children in focal developmental domains using random-effects meta-analyses. We analyzed data from 161 studies involving 39,799 children. Preterm birth was associated with inferior outcomes in global cognitive development (standardized mean difference = -0.57, 95% CI [-0.63, -0.52]), as well as in language/communication, visuospatial, and motor performance, reflecting mean decreases of approximately 7.3 to 9.3 developmental/intelligence quotients. Extreme prematurity, neonatal pulmonary morbidities, and older assessment age in very-to-extreme preterm cohorts were associated with worse outcomes. Contemporary neonatal medical and developmental care were associated with transient improvements in global cognitive development, evident until 2 to 3 years of age but not after. Blinding of examiners to participants' gestational background was associated with poorer outcomes in preterm cohorts, suggesting the possibility of a "compassionbias." The results suggest that preterm birth remains associated with poorer cognitive development in early childhood, especially following pulmonary diseases and very-to-extreme preterm delivery. Importantly, deficits become more pervasive with age, but only after births before 32 gestational weeks and not in moderate-to-late preterm cohorts. Care advancements show promising signs of promoting resiliency in the early years but need further refinements throughout childhood.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503343
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Neonatal Care and Developmental Outcomes Following Preterm Birth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Or+Burstein%22">Or Burstein</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2638-8018">0000-0003-2638-8018</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tamara+Aryeh%22">Tamara Aryeh</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ronny+Geva%22">Ronny Geva</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5724-2153">0000-0002-5724-2153</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Psychology%22"><i>Developmental Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2026 62(2):492-512.
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  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
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  Data: 21
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Information Analyses<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Infant+Care%22">Infant Care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Premature+Infants%22">Premature Infants</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognitive+Development%22">Cognitive Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Development%22">Child Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age+Differences%22">Age Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+Services%22">Medical Services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Motor+Development%22">Motor Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Acquisition%22">Language Acquisition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comorbidity%22">Comorbidity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Resilience+%28Psychology%29%22">Resilience (Psychology)</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1037/dev0001844
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  Data: 0012-1649<br />1939-0599
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  Data: Major amendments in neonatal care have been introduced in recent decades. It is important to understand whether these amendments improved the cognitive sequelae of preterm children. Through a large-scale meta-analysis, we explored the association between prematurity-related complications, neonatal care quality, and cognitive development from birth until 7 years. MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, and EBSCO were searched. Peer-reviewed studies published between 1970 and 2022 using standardized tests were included. We evaluated differences between preterm and full-term children in focal developmental domains using random-effects meta-analyses. We analyzed data from 161 studies involving 39,799 children. Preterm birth was associated with inferior outcomes in global cognitive development (standardized mean difference = -0.57, 95% CI [-0.63, -0.52]), as well as in language/communication, visuospatial, and motor performance, reflecting mean decreases of approximately 7.3 to 9.3 developmental/intelligence quotients. Extreme prematurity, neonatal pulmonary morbidities, and older assessment age in very-to-extreme preterm cohorts were associated with worse outcomes. Contemporary neonatal medical and developmental care were associated with transient improvements in global cognitive development, evident until 2 to 3 years of age but not after. Blinding of examiners to participants' gestational background was associated with poorer outcomes in preterm cohorts, suggesting the possibility of a "compassionbias." The results suggest that preterm birth remains associated with poorer cognitive development in early childhood, especially following pulmonary diseases and very-to-extreme preterm delivery. Importantly, deficits become more pervasive with age, but only after births before 32 gestational weeks and not in moderate-to-late preterm cohorts. Care advancements show promising signs of promoting resiliency in the early years but need further refinements throughout childhood.
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        Value: 10.1037/dev0001844
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 21
        StartPage: 492
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Infant Care
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Premature Infants
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      – SubjectFull: Cognitive Development
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      – SubjectFull: Child Development
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      – SubjectFull: Age Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Medical Services
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      – SubjectFull: Motor Development
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      – SubjectFull: Language Acquisition
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      – SubjectFull: Comorbidity
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      – SubjectFull: Resilience (Psychology)
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      – TitleFull: Neonatal Care and Developmental Outcomes Following Preterm Birth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
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              Y: 2026
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