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Children
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Advances in Neurodevelopmental Outcomes for Preterm Infants
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Advances in Neurodevelopmental Outcomes for Preterm Infants

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Neurology & Neurodevelopmental Disorders".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2026 | Viewed by 3274

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Corinna Gasparini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Degli Apuli 1, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: neurodevelopment of preterm infants; child development; mother–infant relationship; family-centered care; typical and atypical trajectories of infant neurodevelopment
Dr. Barbara Caravale

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: cognitive development; child development; developmental disabilities; neurodevelopmental disorders; cognitive psychology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, titled Advances in Neurodevelopmental Outcomes for Preterm Infants, highlights advancements in understanding and improving neurodevelopmental outcomes for infants born preterm (defined as delivery before 37 weeks of gestation). Despite improved survival rates, these infants often face short- and long-term challenges and are exposed to higher risk of cognitive, language, motor, and behavioral difficulties. For that reason, early identification and intervention are both essential for optimizing developmental trajectories and promoting resilience and long-term well-being.

This Special Issue will present the latest research exploring both risk and protective factors affecting preterm infants’ neurodevelopmental outcomes and the roles of parental and environmental factors in outcomes.

Key topics include longitudinal studies, novel therapeutic approaches, effective interventions and programs to improve resilience and positive developmental trajectories for preterm infants. All original research, review articles and expert commentaries that discuss empirical findings addressing these critical topics are welcome. Contributions should emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration to advance care and outcomes for preterm infants.

Dr. Corinna Gasparini
Dr. Barbara Caravale
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • preterm birth
  • infant neurodevelopment
  • preterm developmental outcomes
  • early intervention for preterm infants
  • family-centered care

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 902 KB  
Article
Pilot Implementation of the NeuroSense PremmieEd Parenting Educational Programme for Parents with Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Sequential Cohort Design
by Welma Lubbe and Kirsten A. Donald
Children 2025, 12(12), 1636; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12121636 - 1 Dec 2025
Viewed by 219
Abstract
Introduction: Preterm birth and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission may elevate parental stress and impair early parent–infant interaction. In low-resource settings, where staff and resources are limited, parental education programmes are often also limited, further complicating care engagement. This study piloted the [...] Read more.
Introduction: Preterm birth and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission may elevate parental stress and impair early parent–infant interaction. In low-resource settings, where staff and resources are limited, parental education programmes are often also limited, further complicating care engagement. This study piloted the NeuroSense PremmieEd parenting educational programme to assess its preliminary impact on maternal stress and knowledge in a South African public-sector NICU. Objectives: This study aimed to pilot a contextually relevant parenting education intervention to enhance parental understanding of preterm infant behaviour, strengthen parents’ capacity to interpret and respond sensitively to infant cues, and reduce parental stress during NICU admission. Methodology: This sequential cohort pilot study involved 60 mothers of preterm infants (gestational age, 24–36 weeks) admitted to two comparable NICUs. Mothers (aged 18–45 years) were allocated to three groups. Arm 1 received standard care (n = 20), Arm 2 received a printed educational booklet (n = 20), and Arm 3 received the booklet plus a facilitated education session (n = 20). Pre- and post-intervention data were collected using the Knowledge of Preterm Infant Behaviour (KPIB) questionnaire and the Parental Stressor Scale: NICU (PSS:NICU). Descriptive statistics were used to explore differences between arms. Results: Knowledge scores measured with the KPIB tool showed a positive trend in all groups, with the greatest improvement observed in Arm 3; however, these changes were not statistically significant (p = 0.176). Maternal stress measured using the PSS:NICU increased significantly over time across all groups (F(1, 57) = 8.40, p = 0.005), with Arm 3 consistently reporting the lowest stress at both timepoints. Discussion: The facilitated intervention was associated with a trend towards improved maternal knowledge of preterm infant behaviour. This pilot study highlighted the potential of structured and culturally relevant education to support early parenting in a public-sector NICU in South Africa. Maternal stress levels remained high across all groups. While this finding may be due to parents’ experience of changes in infant medical condition, fatigue, and other factors, these were not investigated in this study and therefore warrant further exploration in future work. Conclusions: The NeuroSense PremmieEd programme shows promise in improving maternal understanding of preterm infant behaviour. The results highlight the need for further adaptation of content delivery, inclusion of diverse populations (e.g., by preterm category) and scalable, low-resource approaches to improve engagement and long-term outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Neurodevelopmental Outcomes for Preterm Infants)
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13 pages, 1368 KB  
Article
Content Validity, Feasibility, and Acceptability of the Neurosense PremmieEd Programme, a South African Premature Parenting Education Intervention for the NICU Parent: A Hybrid Focus Group Discussion Method
by Welma Lubbe and Kirsten A. Donald
Children 2025, 12(11), 1502; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12111502 - 6 Nov 2025
Viewed by 313
Abstract
Background: Parent education is a key component of family-centred care in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). It supports positive parent-infant interactions, reduces parental stress and anxiety, and contributes to shorter hospital stays. Objectives: This paper reports on the adaptation of a South African [...] Read more.
Background: Parent education is a key component of family-centred care in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). It supports positive parent-infant interactions, reduces parental stress and anxiety, and contributes to shorter hospital stays. Objectives: This paper reports on the adaptation of a South African parenting education intervention for parents of premature infants in the NICU: the NeuroSense PremmieEd programme. The study aimed to demonstrate the programme’s content validity, feasibility, and acceptability for preterm parent–infant dyads in public hospital NICUs, using a hybrid focus group discussion (FGD) method. The programme was based on an existing intervention and informed by literature on the components of parenting educational programmes and empirical data on parental expectations. Methods: A qualitative, iterative refinement process was undertaken using hybrid-format FGDs. A conceptual FGD was held during the design phase, followed by two consensus FGDs after pilot testing (reported separately). Stakeholders included end-users (mothers), clinicians, an instructional designer, a neurodevelopmental care expert, and programme facilitators. Results: The first FGD reviewed draft version 0.1 of the programme, confirming content relevance and clarity, while recommending adjustments, such as module integration, cultural and language alignment, and visual aids to support comprehension. Version 0.2 was then ready for pilot testing (reported elsewhere). The second and third FGDs led to refinements addressing emotional sensitivity in terminology, improved layout and readability, and the addition of home care guidance. Stakeholders highlighted the potential use of low-cost digital formats to enhance accessibility and standardisation. These revisions informed the final version 0.3. Conclusions: The hybrid FGD approach enabled input from diverse and geographically dispersed stakeholders. The NeuroSense PremmieEd programme was found to be feasible and acceptable by both mothers and healthcare professionals, supporting its suitability for broader implementation in resource-constrained settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Neurodevelopmental Outcomes for Preterm Infants)
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12 pages, 462 KB  
Article
Neurodevelopment in Preterm Children at 12 Months: Aligning Clinical Observations and Parental Insight
by Barbara Caravale, Antonella Castronovo, Loredana Narducci, Cristina Zitarelli, Elsa Addessi, Michela De Cicco, Gianluca Terrin and Camilla Gizzi
Children 2025, 12(9), 1132; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12091132 - 27 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1103
Abstract
Background: Preterm birth is associated with increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Although standardized tools such as the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development—Third Edition (BSID-III) are widely used for early developmental assessment, parent-report measures may offer complementary and cost-effective alternatives. The Developmental [...] Read more.
Background: Preterm birth is associated with increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Although standardized tools such as the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development—Third Edition (BSID-III) are widely used for early developmental assessment, parent-report measures may offer complementary and cost-effective alternatives. The Developmental Profile 3 (DP-3) is a parent questionnaire with potential utility in preterm follow-up programs. Objective: To compare developmental outcomes of preterm infants at 12 months corrected age assessed using the BSID-III and the DP-3 questionnaires and to evaluate the agreement between these tools across cognitive, language-communication, motor, and social-emotional domains. Methods: Fifty-five preterm infants (mean GA = 30.3 weeks; mean BW = 1388 g) were assessed using both the BSID-III (administered by professionals) and the DP-3 (completed by parents) at 12 months corrected age. Mean scores were computed for each domain, and infants were assigned to the corresponding descriptive categories. The agreement between BSID-III and DP-3 scores was statistically evaluated. Results: Both instruments identified similar developmental trends, with motor development emerging as the most vulnerable domain for preterm infants. DP-3 scores were higher than BSID-III scores in virtually all domains, and absolute intraclass correlation coefficients showed a generally moderate agreement between measurements. The BSID-III identified significantly more infants at risk in the cognitive and social-emotional areas compared to the DP-3. Conclusions: The DP-3 showed fair convergence with the BSID-III, supporting its use as a complementary tool in preterm follow-up. Extending follow-up assessments into later developmental stages will be essential to more accurately determine the predictive validity of the DP-3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Neurodevelopmental Outcomes for Preterm Infants)
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23 pages, 480 KB  
Article
Executive Functions and Reading Skills in Low-Risk Preterm Children
by Miguel Pérez-Pereira, Constantino Arce and Anastasiia Ogneva
Children 2025, 12(8), 1011; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12081011 - 31 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1117
Abstract
Background/Objectives. Previous research with extremely and very preterm children indicates that these children obtain significantly lower results in executive functions (EFs) and in reading skills than full-term (FT) children. The comparison results do not seem to be so clear when other PT children [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives. Previous research with extremely and very preterm children indicates that these children obtain significantly lower results in executive functions (EFs) and in reading skills than full-term (FT) children. The comparison results do not seem to be so clear when other PT children in lower-risk conditions are studied. Many studies with typically developing and preterm (PT) children indicate that reading ability is determined, in part, by EFs. Therefore, the study of EFs and reading and their relationships in low-risk PT children is pertinent. Methods. In the present study, 111 PT children, classified into three groups with different ranges of gestational age (GA), and one group of 34 FT children participated in a longitudinal study, carried out from 4 to 9 years of age. The results obtained from the four groups in different EFs measured at 4, 5, and 8 years of age, and in reading skills at 9 years of age were compared. The possible effects of EFs on reading skills were studied through multiple linear regression analyses. Results. The results obtained indicate that no significant difference was found between FT children and any of the GA groups of PT children, either in EFs or reading skills. The effect of EFs on reading skills was low to moderate. Verbal and non-verbal working memory had a positive significant effect on decoding skills (letter names, same–different, and word reading), but not on reading comprehension processes. Higher-order EFs (cognitive flexibility and planning), as well as inhibitory control, showed positive effects on reading comprehension skills. The effects of the different EFs varied depending on the reading process. Conclusions. In conclusion, low-risk PT children do not differ from FT children in their competence in EFs or reading skills. There are long-lasting effects of EFs, measured several years before, on reading skills measured at 9 years of age. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Neurodevelopmental Outcomes for Preterm Infants)
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