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Am J Perinatol 2017; 34(4): 364-371
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1592080
Original Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Association between Primary Caregiver Education and Cognitive and Language Development of Preterm Neonates

Elizabeth V. Asztalos
1   Department of Newborn and Developmental Paediatrics, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Paige T. Church
1   Department of Newborn and Developmental Paediatrics, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Patricia Riley
2   Department of Pediatrics, Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
,
Carlos Fajardo
3   Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
,
Prakesh S. Shah
4   Maternal-Infant Care Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
for the Canadian Neonatal Network and Canadian Neonatal Follow-up Network Investigators › Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

23 May 2016

28 July 2016

Publication Date:
29 August 2016 (online)

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Abstract

Objective This study aims to explore the association between primary caregiver education and cognitive and language composite scores of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd ed. (Bayley-III) in preterm infants at 18 to 21 months corrected age.

Design An observational study was performed on preterm infants born before 29 weeks' gestation between 2010 and 2011. Primary caregivers were categorized by their highest education level and cognitive and language composite scores of the Bayley-III were compared among infants between these groups with adjustment for perinatal and neonatal factors.

Results In total, 1,525 infants/caregivers were included in the multivariate analysis. Compared with those with less than a high school education, infants with primary caregivers who received partial college/specialized training displayed higher cognitive (adjusted difference [AD]: 4.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.8–7.4) and language scores (AD: 4.0, 95% CI: 0.8–7.1); infants with primary caregivers with university graduate education or above also demonstrated higher cognitive (AD: 6.4, 95% CI: 2.6–10.1) and language scores (AD: 9.9, 95% CI: 5.7–14.1).

Conclusion Higher levels of education of the primary caregiver were associated with increased cognitive and language composite scores at 18 to 21 months corrected age in preterm infants.

Keywords

neurodevelopmental outcomes - very preterm infants - primary caregiver education - cognitive development - language development
 

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