Comparison of Development of Full-term and Late Preterm Ecuadorian Mestizo Newborns, Using the Brunet-Lézine Scale and the Abbreviated Developmental Scale-3

Abstract

Late preterm infants have a higher risk of early childhood developmental problems than full-term. They usually present subtle neurodevelopmental disabilities that could appear in middle and long-term time. This paper aims to determine differences in child neurodevelopment, in full-term infants and late preterm infants in Ecuadorian Mestizo newborns, using two assessment scales. This is an epidemiological, cross-sectional, and observational research, with two patient cohorts, late preterm and full-preterm infants. The sample size was 204 individuals, 102 cases in each cohort. It gathers data from the patient’s medical records and of the patients assessed with the Brunet-Lezine scale and Abbreviated Developmental Scale-3. Among late premature infants, the incidence of developmental disorders was 16.7% and 17.6% of those born at term (p > 0.05). A statistically significant difference was obtained between the first and third developmental evaluations among late preterm infants (p < 0.05). The multivariate analysis identified male sex as a risk factor for developmental disorders. Vaginal delivery and cephalic presentation behaved as protective factors (p < 0.05). In late preterm and term newborns, where child development was assessed using the Brunet-Lezine Scale and Abbreviated Developmental Scale-3, 16.7% of late preterm and 17.6% of term newborns were found to have developmental disorders, but no statistically significant difference between them. In the multivariate analysis, the most critical risk factor was male sex. Vaginal delivery and cephalic presentation behaved as protective factors.