Developmental Statue of Preterm Infants Up to Two Years of Age and Related Risk Factors using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire

Preterm infants often face challenges in achieving developmental milestones compared to their full-term peers. This study aimed to investigate developmental abnormalities in preterm infants up to two years of age, identify related risk factors using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). This descriptive cross-sectional study evaluated the developmental status of premature infants aged ≤ 2 years who attended the developmental clinic at Namazee Hospital, Shiraz, Iran, during the year 2020. Developmental assessments were performed by reviewing medical charts and utilizing ASQ. Developmental items of communication, gross movements, fine movements, problem solving and social interactions at the ages of 4 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months were evaluated. Out of 77 studied infants, 28 (36.4%) were girls and 49 (63.6%) were boys with the mean gestational age of 32.78 ± 2.74 weeks. Developmental disorders had the highest impairment in gross movement at 12 months (77%) and the lowest impairment in communication at 4 months (39%). There was a significant correlation between social interactions and mode of delivery (p= 0.008), problem solving with parental consanguinity (p= 0.013), NICU admission with communication (p= 0.04), and birth weight with fine movement (p= 0.02) as well as folic acid consumption with gross movement (p= 0.03). Following, pairwise comparisons revealed a significant difference in communication scores between 4 months and 48 months of age (p= 0.033).  Monitoring the developmental progress of preterm infants using tools like the ASQ is vital for identifying those who may require additional support.