Neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight preterm infants during the COVID-19 pandemic
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, parental involvement in NICU and post-discharge follow-up for preterm infants in Taiwan were limited. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants in Taiwan. Method: This was a retrospective...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213398425000296 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832576507542765568 |
|---|---|
| author | Yen-Chen Lin Hung-Yang Chang Chia-Huei Chen Jui-Hsing Chang Wai-Tim Jim Chyong-Hsin Hsu Chia-Ying Lin Yu-Xiang Song Cheng-Wei Chen Tzu-Yu Liu Mary Hsin-Ju Ko |
| author_facet | Yen-Chen Lin Hung-Yang Chang Chia-Huei Chen Jui-Hsing Chang Wai-Tim Jim Chyong-Hsin Hsu Chia-Ying Lin Yu-Xiang Song Cheng-Wei Chen Tzu-Yu Liu Mary Hsin-Ju Ko |
| author_sort | Yen-Chen Lin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, parental involvement in NICU and post-discharge follow-up for preterm infants in Taiwan were limited. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants in Taiwan. Method: This was a retrospective study enrolling very-low-birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants born between January 2018 and December 2021 from two hospitals. The pre-COVID-19 group (PCG) consisted of VLBW infants born between January 2018 and April 2019, before the pandemic. VLBW infants born after May 2019 and followed-up for at least 24 months during the pandemic were assigned to the COVID-19 group (CG). The antenatal, perinatal, and postnatal data, and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 and/or 24 months corrected age (CA) of the participants were collected and compared. Results: A total of 547 VLBW infants were born during the study period. CG had significantly longer hospital stay and delayed follow-up time compared to PCG. No significant differences were observed in the composite cognitive, language, and motor scores between two groups. The percentages of moderate neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) were higher at 12 months CA, but not at 24 months. The severe NDI also presented no significant difference between the groups. Conclusion: VLBW preterm infants during the pandemic had extended hospital stays and delayed follow-ups, with higher moderate NDI at 12 months CA. Long-term monitoring and care are essential for this at-risk group. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cc6bc16ec4d147d1af96f39cb4c41ae6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2213-3984 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-cc6bc16ec4d147d1af96f39cb4c41ae62025-01-31T05:11:17ZengElsevierClinical Epidemiology and Global Health2213-39842025-03-0132101940Neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight preterm infants during the COVID-19 pandemicYen-Chen Lin0Hung-Yang Chang1Chia-Huei Chen2Jui-Hsing Chang3Wai-Tim Jim4Chyong-Hsin Hsu5Chia-Ying Lin6Yu-Xiang Song7Cheng-Wei Chen8Tzu-Yu Liu9Mary Hsin-Ju Ko10Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, MacKay Children's Hospital, Taipei, TaiwanDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, MacKay Children's Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, TaiwanDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, MacKay Children's Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, TaiwanDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, MacKay Children's Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, TaiwanDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, MacKay Children's Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan; National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, TaiwanDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, MacKay Children's Hospital, Taipei, TaiwanDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, MacKay Children's Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, TaiwanDepartment of Pediatrics, Hsinchu MacKay Children's Hospital, Hsinchu, TaiwanDepartment of Pediatrics, Hsinchu MacKay Children's Hospital, Hsinchu, TaiwanDepartment of Pediatrics, Hsinchu MacKay Children's Hospital, Hsinchu, TaiwanDepartment of Pediatrics, Hsinchu MacKay Children's Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Corresponding author.Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, parental involvement in NICU and post-discharge follow-up for preterm infants in Taiwan were limited. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants in Taiwan. Method: This was a retrospective study enrolling very-low-birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants born between January 2018 and December 2021 from two hospitals. The pre-COVID-19 group (PCG) consisted of VLBW infants born between January 2018 and April 2019, before the pandemic. VLBW infants born after May 2019 and followed-up for at least 24 months during the pandemic were assigned to the COVID-19 group (CG). The antenatal, perinatal, and postnatal data, and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 and/or 24 months corrected age (CA) of the participants were collected and compared. Results: A total of 547 VLBW infants were born during the study period. CG had significantly longer hospital stay and delayed follow-up time compared to PCG. No significant differences were observed in the composite cognitive, language, and motor scores between two groups. The percentages of moderate neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) were higher at 12 months CA, but not at 24 months. The severe NDI also presented no significant difference between the groups. Conclusion: VLBW preterm infants during the pandemic had extended hospital stays and delayed follow-ups, with higher moderate NDI at 12 months CA. Long-term monitoring and care are essential for this at-risk group.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213398425000296COVID-19 pandemicPretermVery-low-birth-weight (VLBW)NeurodevelopmentNeurodevelopmental impairments (NDI) |
| spellingShingle | Yen-Chen Lin Hung-Yang Chang Chia-Huei Chen Jui-Hsing Chang Wai-Tim Jim Chyong-Hsin Hsu Chia-Ying Lin Yu-Xiang Song Cheng-Wei Chen Tzu-Yu Liu Mary Hsin-Ju Ko Neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight preterm infants during the COVID-19 pandemic Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health COVID-19 pandemic Preterm Very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) Neurodevelopment Neurodevelopmental impairments (NDI) |
| title | Neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight preterm infants during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight preterm infants during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight preterm infants during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight preterm infants during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight preterm infants during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight preterm infants during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | COVID-19 pandemic Preterm Very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) Neurodevelopment Neurodevelopmental impairments (NDI) |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213398425000296 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yenchenlin neurodevelopmentaloutcomesofverylowbirthweightpreterminfantsduringthecovid19pandemic AT hungyangchang neurodevelopmentaloutcomesofverylowbirthweightpreterminfantsduringthecovid19pandemic AT chiahueichen neurodevelopmentaloutcomesofverylowbirthweightpreterminfantsduringthecovid19pandemic AT juihsingchang neurodevelopmentaloutcomesofverylowbirthweightpreterminfantsduringthecovid19pandemic AT waitimjim neurodevelopmentaloutcomesofverylowbirthweightpreterminfantsduringthecovid19pandemic AT chyonghsinhsu neurodevelopmentaloutcomesofverylowbirthweightpreterminfantsduringthecovid19pandemic AT chiayinglin neurodevelopmentaloutcomesofverylowbirthweightpreterminfantsduringthecovid19pandemic AT yuxiangsong neurodevelopmentaloutcomesofverylowbirthweightpreterminfantsduringthecovid19pandemic AT chengweichen neurodevelopmentaloutcomesofverylowbirthweightpreterminfantsduringthecovid19pandemic AT tzuyuliu neurodevelopmentaloutcomesofverylowbirthweightpreterminfantsduringthecovid19pandemic AT maryhsinjuko neurodevelopmentaloutcomesofverylowbirthweightpreterminfantsduringthecovid19pandemic |