The impact of premature birth on dental maturation in the permanent dentition

Abstract Objectives To evaluate tooth development and calculate dental maturity score in prematurely born children and to compare the findings with full-term born children. Material and methods Nine-year-old preterm children were selected from the Swedish Medical Birth Register. One group consisted of 36 extremely preterm children (born before week 29), and the other included 38 very preterm children (born during weeks 29 to 32). Panoramic radiography was performed on each child and the preterm children were compared with 42 full-term born children. Five observers independently assessed the tooth development stages for all teeth in the left mandible (31–37) on the panoramic radiographs according to the method described by Demirjian et al. (Hum Biol 45:211–227, 1973). Data from tooth development stages were compiled and converted into a dental maturity score for each group. Kappa values were calculated for intra- and inter-observer agreement. Results When the different development stages for each individual tooth were compared, all observers presented a significant delay in the maturity of tooth 37 for the extremely preterm group (p ≤ 0.002). The extremely preterm group had a significantly lower dental maturity score than the full-term group, as assessed by each observer (p ≤ 0.006). Kappa values for inter-observer agreement varied between 0.31 and 0.71 depending on tooth and intra-observer agreement was between 0.16 and 1.0. Conclusions At age 9, the extremely preterm children had a general delay in tooth development. Clinical relevance The increased survival rate of extremely preterm babies adds a new group of children to society. Dental clinicians should be aware that the delay in tooth development could impact the timing of orthodontic diagnostics and potential treatment.

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Craniofacial Morphology in Prematurely Born Children

The Angle Orthodontist ◽

10.2319/030108-124.1 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 79 (2) ◽

pp. 276-283 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Liselotte Paulsson ◽

Lars Bondemark

Keyword(s):

Head Circumference ◽

Null Hypothesis ◽

Full Term ◽

Craniofacial Morphology ◽

Control Group ◽

Preterm Children ◽

Very Preterm ◽

Anterior Cranial Base ◽

Extremely Preterm ◽

Preterm Group

Abstract Objective: To test the null hypothesis that there is no difference between the craniofacial morphology of prematurely born children and that of matched full-term born controls. Materials and Methods: White children 8 to 10 years of age, born at the University Hospitals of Lund and Malmö and living in the same part of Sweden, were included. One group consisted of 36 very preterm children, born during gestational weeks 29 to 32; the other group included 36 extremely preterm children, who were born before the 29th gestational week. Subjects were compared with a control group of 31 full-term children, who were matched for gender, age, nationality, and living area. One lateral head radiograph was taken for each child, and the cephalometric analysis included 15 angular and 11 linear variables. Also, the height, weight, and head circumference of each child were registered. Results: A significantly shorter anterior cranial base and a less convex skeletal profile were found among extremely preterm children, and significantly shorter maxillary length was noted in both extremely preterm and very preterm groups as compared with full-term children. The lower incisors were significantly more retroclined and retruded in the extremely preterm group compared with the very preterm group and the full-term control group. Extremely preterm children were significantly shorter, and both extremely preterm and very preterm children had significantly lower weight and smaller head circumference compared with full-term children. Conclusion: The null hypothesis was rejected because several craniofacial parameters differed significantly between preterm and full-term born control children.

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Prevalence of Language Delay among Healthy Preterm Children, Language Outcomes and Predictive Factors

Children ◽

10.3390/children8040282 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 282

Author(s):

Miguel Pérez-Pereira

Keyword(s):

Gestational Age ◽

Language Impairment ◽

Maternal Education ◽

Longitudinal Design ◽

Age Groups ◽

Full Term ◽

Language Delay ◽

Preterm Children ◽

General Terms ◽

Extremely Preterm

Language delay (LD) and its relationship with later language impairment in preterm children is a topic of major concern. Previous studies comparing LD in preterm (PT) and full-term (FT) children were mainly carried out with samples of extremely preterm and very preterm children (sometimes with additional medical problems). Very few of them were longitudinal studies, which is essential to understand developmental relationships between LD and later language impairment. In this study, we compare the prevalence of LD in low-risk preterm children to that of FT children in a longitudinal design ranging from 10 to 60 months of age. We also analyze which variables are related to a higher risk of LD at 22, 30 and 60 months of age. Different language tests were administered to three groups of preterm children of different gestational ages and to one group of full-term children from the ages of 10 to 60 months. ANOVA comparisons between groups and logistic regression analyses to identify possible predictors of language delay at 22, 30 and 60 months of age were performed. The results found indicate that there were practically no differences between gestational age groups. Healthy PT children, therefore, do not have, in general terms, a higher risk of language delay than FT children. Previous language delay and cognitive delay are the strongest and longest-lasting predictors of later language impairment. Other factors, such as a scarce use of gestures at 10 months or male gender, affect early LD at 22 months of age, although their effect disappears as children grow older. Low maternal education appears to have a late effect. Gestational age does not have any significant effect on the appearance of LD.

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Attentional networks efficiency in preterm children

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617709991032 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 130-137 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

R. PIZZO ◽

S. URBEN ◽

M. VAN DER LINDEN ◽

C. BORRADORI-TOLSA ◽

M. FRESCHI ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gestational Age ◽

Executive Control ◽

Full Term ◽

Preterm Children ◽

Attention Network ◽

Attentional Deficits ◽

Control Networks ◽

Attentional Networks ◽

Preterm Group

AbstractRecent studies have reported specific executive and attentional deficits in preterm children. However, the majority of this research has used multidetermined tasks to assess these abilities, and the interpretation of the results lacks an explicit theoretical backdrop to better understand the origin of the difficulties observed. In the present study, we used the Child Attention Network Task (Child ANT; Rueda et al. 2004) to assess the efficiency of the alerting, orienting and executive control networks. We compared the performance of 25 preterm children (gestational age ≤ 32 weeks) to 25 full-term children, all between 5½ and 6½ years of age. Results showed that, as compared to full-term children, preterm children were slower on all conditions of the Child ANT and had a specific deficit in executive control abilities. We also observed a significantly higher correlation between the orienting and executive control networks in the preterm group, suggesting less differentiation of these two networks in this population. (JINS, 2010, 16, 130–137.)

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Malocclusion Traits and Orthodontic Treatment Needs in Prematurely Born Children

The Angle Orthodontist ◽

10.2319/083007-402.1 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 78 (5) ◽

pp. 786-792 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Liselotte Paulsson ◽

Björn Söderfeldt ◽

Lars Bondemark

Keyword(s):

Orthodontic Treatment ◽

Dental Health ◽

Full Term ◽

Control Group ◽

Treatment Needs ◽

Preterm Children ◽

Treatment Need ◽

Deep Bite ◽

Extremely Preterm ◽

Gestational Week

Abstract Objective: To evaluate if prematurely born children have higher prevalence of malocclusion traits and greater orthodontic treatment need than matched full-term born controls. Materials and Methods: Seventy-three preterm children were selected from the Medical Birth Register and divided into two subgroups according to their gestational age. One group consisted of 37 very preterm children (VPT), born in gestational week 29–32, and the other of 36 extremely preterm children (EPT), born before the 29th gestational week. The subjects were compared with a control group of 41 full-term children, who were matched for sex, age, and nationality. Data from clinical examinations, study casts, and panoramic radiographs were used to determine malocclusion traits. The dental health component of the index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN) was used to rank the treatment need. Results: Two or more malocclusion traits occurred significantly more often among EPT (83.3%) and VPT children (73.0%), compared with the full-term children (51.2%). Significantly higher prevalence of deep bites and was found in EPT and VPT groups compared with the full-term control group. Deep bite was the most common malocclusion trait in the EPT and VPT group. Higher orthodontic treatment need was found for the preterm children but no differences in prevalence of malocclusion traits and treatment need were found between VPT and EPT children. Conclusion: The clinician should be aware of the potential for a higher number of malocclusion traits and greater orthodontic treatment need in prematurely born children compared with full-term children.

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Body Posture Asymmetry in Prematurely Born Children at Six Years of Age

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2017/9302520 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Katarzyna Walicka-Cupryś ◽

Justyna Drzał-Grabiec ◽

Maciej Rachwał ◽

Paweł Piwoński ◽

Lidia Perenc ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Premature Birth ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Full Term ◽

Body Posture ◽

Coronal Plane ◽

Control Group ◽

Sitting Position ◽

Preterm Children ◽

Chi Squared ◽

Preterm Group

Aims. The purpose of the study was to assess body posture asymmetries in the standing and sitting position in prematurely born children at six years of age. Study Design and Subjects. We measured trunk symmetry in coronal plane. The study was carried out in a group of 101 children, aged 6-7 years, mean age of 6.63, including 50 preterm children born at gestational age <32 weeks (preterm group) and 51 full-term children (control group). Outcome Measures. Trunk symmetry in coronal plane was measured using photogrammetric technique with Mora 4G CQ Elektronik. The subjects were examined in standing and sitting position. Statistical analyses were carried out using Shapiro-Wilk W-test, Student’s t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Pearson’s chi-squared test. Statistical significance was assumed at p<0.05. Results. No significant differences were found between the groups in the asymmetries identified in the relevant anthropometric points, relative to the position assumed during the examination or to the subjects’ sex. Conclusions. There are no significant differences in body posture in the coronal plane, between preterm children and full-term children. Premature birth does not have adverse effects related to body posture asymmetry in preterm children at the age of six.

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Do Mainstream Schoolchildren Who Were Born Preterm Have Motor Problems?

British Journal of Occupational Therapy ◽

10.1177/030802260306600103 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 66 (1) ◽

pp. 9-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Lynda Foulder-Hughes ◽

Richard Cooke ◽

Lynda Foulder-Hughes ◽

Richard Cooke

Keyword(s):

Neonatal Intensive Care ◽

Motor Impairment ◽

Full Term ◽

Preterm Children ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Motor Problems ◽

Movement Assessment ◽

Preterm Group ◽

Developmental Test ◽

Motor Difficulties

Children who are born preterm now have improved survival chances owing to major changes in obstetric and neonatal intensive care. Previous studies have indicated that such children who are attending mainstream school have an increased risk of long-term motor impairment when compared with those who were born at full term. The present study describes the motor outcome in a geographically defined population born at or below 32 weeks of gestational age, alongside a group of full-term children who were matched for age, gender and school. Motor skills were assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Movement ABC) and the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (VMI), in addition to a detailed perinatal history. A total of 280 preterm children were assessed alongside 210 controls. There were highly statistically significant differences between the preterm and full-term cohorts on both the Movement ABC (p<0.001, Mann-Whitney U) and the VMI (p<0.001, independent sample t-test), with the preterm group performing considerably worse than their peers. Using the 5th percentile on the Movement ABC, 30.7% of the preterm group were impaired compared with 6.7% of the controls. Occupational therapists may find increased referral levels of preterm children because of motor difficulties and associated functional problems.

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Gestational age and child development at school entry

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-93701-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Gursimran K. Dhamrait ◽

Hayley Christian ◽

Melissa O’Donnell ◽

Gavin Pereira

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Preterm Birth ◽

Child Development ◽

Gestational Age ◽

Full Term ◽

School Entry ◽

Modifiable Risk Factors ◽

Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽

Extremely Preterm ◽

The Impact

AbstractStudies have reported a dose-dependent relationship between gestational age and poorer school readiness. The study objective was to quantify the risk of developmental vulnerability for children at school entry, associated with gestational age at birth and to understand the impact of sociodemographic and other modifiable risk factors on these relationships. Linkage of population-level birth registration, hospital, and perinatal datasets to the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), enabled follow-up of a cohort of 64,810 singleton children, from birth to school entry in either 2009, 2012, or 2015. The study outcome was teacher-reported child development on the AEDC with developmental vulnerability defined as domain scores < 10th percentile of the 2009 AEDC cohort. We used modified Poisson Regression to estimate relative risks (RR) and risk differences (RD) of developmental vulnerability between; (i) preterm birth and term-born children, and (ii) across gestational age categories. Compared to term-born children, adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics attenuated RR for all preterm birth categories. Further adjustment for modifiable risk factors such as preschool attendance and reading status at home had some additional impact across all gestational age groups, except for children born extremely preterm. The RR and RD for developmental vulnerability followed a reverse J-shaped relationship with gestational age. The RR of being classified as developmentally vulnerable was highest for children born extremely preterm and lowest for children born late-term. Adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics attenuated RR and RD for all gestational age categories, except for early-term born children. Children born prior to full-term are at a greater risk for developmental vulnerabilities at school entry. Elevated developmental vulnerability was largely explained by sociodemographic disadvantage. Elevated vulnerability in children born post-term is not explained by sociodemographic disadvantage to the same extent as in children born prior to full-term.

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Do healthy preterm children have behavior problems?

Anales de Psicología ◽

10.6018/analesps.35.3.332531 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 397-404

Author(s):

Miguel Pérez-Pereira ◽

Lua Baños

Keyword(s):

Behavior Problems ◽

Maternal Depression ◽

Child Behavior ◽

Gestational Age ◽

Externalizing Behavior ◽

Child Behavior Checklist ◽

Full Term ◽

Preterm Children ◽

Extremely Preterm ◽

Significant Difference

Objetivo: En este estudio, se compararán los problemas de comportamiento de los niños prematuros sanos y a término. También se estudiará el efecto de las condiciones ambientales y neonatales en la tasa de problemas de comportamiento, prestando especial atención a la depresión materna y al estrés de los padres. Estudios anteriores encontraron tasas de prevalencia significativamente mayores de problemas totales en niños prematuros. La mayoría de estos estudios se llevaron a cabo con niños prematuros menores de 32 semanas de edad gestacional. En contraste, algunos estudios realizados con niños moderadamente prematuros no encontraron diferencias significativas. Método: Evaluamos 108 niños prematuros de bajo riesgo y 33 niños de término completo a través del Child Behavior Checklist cuando tenían 5 años de edad. El estrés y la depresión de sus madres también fueron evaluados. Resultados: No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los grupos prematuros y los de término completo en cuanto a la internalización o la externalización general de los problemas de conducta, ni a los problemas de conducta más específicos, como la ansiedad, la atención o la agresión. No se encontró ningún efecto de la edad gestacional en la tasa de problemas de conducta. En contraste, el estrés materno, pero no la depresión materna, fue un fuerte predictor de problemas de conducta. Conclusiones: Estos resultados indican que los problemas de conducta no son característicos de los niños prematuros como grupo, sino solo de los niños muy o extremadamente prematuros. Background/Objective. In this study, the behavior problems of healthy preterm and full-term children will be compared. The effect of environmental and neonatal conditions on the rate of behavior problems, with special attention to maternal depression and parental stress, will also be studied. Previous studies found significantly higher prevalence rates of total problems in preterm children. Most of these studies were carried out with preterm children under 32 weeks of gestational age. In contrast, some studies carried out with moderately preterm children found no significant difference. Method. We assessed 108 low risk preterm children and 33 full-term children through the Child Behavior Checklist when they were 5 years-old. Their mothers` stress and depression were also assessed. Results. No significant difference was found between the preterm and the full-term groups for overall, internalizing or externalizing behavior problems, or for more fine-grained behavior problems such as anxiety, attention or aggression problems. No effect of gestational age on the rate of behavior problems was found. In contrast maternal stress, but not maternal depression, was a strong predictor of behavior problems. Conclusions. These results indicate that behavior problems are not characteristic of preterm children as a group, but only of very or extremely preterm children.

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