TY - JOUR
T1 - Prediction of Developmental Outcomes in Preterm Infants
T2 - A Systematic Review
AU - Meijer, Julia S.
AU - Breedveld, Maura M. F. J.
AU - Andriessen, Peter
AU - Hoogendoorn, Iris
AU - Onland, Wes
AU - van Pul, Carola
AU - Schuit, Ewoud
AU - van Beek, Pauline E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ which permits noncommercial distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2026/5/1
Y1 - 2026/5/1
N2 - CONTEXT: Increased survival of very preterm children raises concerns about later outcomes. Prediction models for developmental outcomes can support perinatal decision-making. OBJECTIVE: Summarizing prediction models for developmental outcomes after very preterm birth. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane database were searched for publications up to June 2024. STUDY SELECTION: All developed or externally validated prognostic models predicting developmental outcomes of infants born very preterm (<32 weeks) or with a very low birth weight (≤1500 g) were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Data extraction and risk of bias (RoB) assessment were done independently and in duplicate by 2 researchers using the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. RESULTS: Thirty-eight publications were identified describing 99 (85%) newly developed models and 18 (15%) external validations of 11 different existing models. The most predicted outcome was a composite measure of neurodevelopmental impairment, with prediction horizons ranging from 18 months to 10 years after birth. RoB was high for all models, mostly because of concerns regarding outcome and data analysis. LIMITATIONS: Because of a high RoB among all included studies, no recommendation for the most accurate prediction model could be provided. CONCLUSIONS: Although many prediction models for developmental outcomes after preterm birth exist, external validation is rare, and RoB is high. Future research is needed to validate and, if needed, update existing models to support perinatal decision-making.
AB - CONTEXT: Increased survival of very preterm children raises concerns about later outcomes. Prediction models for developmental outcomes can support perinatal decision-making. OBJECTIVE: Summarizing prediction models for developmental outcomes after very preterm birth. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane database were searched for publications up to June 2024. STUDY SELECTION: All developed or externally validated prognostic models predicting developmental outcomes of infants born very preterm (<32 weeks) or with a very low birth weight (≤1500 g) were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Data extraction and risk of bias (RoB) assessment were done independently and in duplicate by 2 researchers using the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. RESULTS: Thirty-eight publications were identified describing 99 (85%) newly developed models and 18 (15%) external validations of 11 different existing models. The most predicted outcome was a composite measure of neurodevelopmental impairment, with prediction horizons ranging from 18 months to 10 years after birth. RoB was high for all models, mostly because of concerns regarding outcome and data analysis. LIMITATIONS: Because of a high RoB among all included studies, no recommendation for the most accurate prediction model could be provided. CONCLUSIONS: Although many prediction models for developmental outcomes after preterm birth exist, external validation is rare, and RoB is high. Future research is needed to validate and, if needed, update existing models to support perinatal decision-making.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105037825498
U2 - 10.1542/peds.2025-073580
DO - 10.1542/peds.2025-073580
M3 - Article
C2 - 41921987
SN - 0031-4005
VL - 157
JO - Pediatrics
JF - Pediatrics
IS - 5
M1 - e2025073580
ER -