Multicenter Study

. 2025 Oct:285:114709.

doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2025.114709. Epub 2025 Jun 27.

Count of Neonatal Morbidities Predicts Outcomes at Age 10 and 15 Years in Infants Born Extremely Preterm

Collaborators, Affiliations

Collaborators

ELGAN-ECHO Study Investigators:
Julie V Rollins, Bhavesh Shah, Linda Van Marter, Camilla Martin, Janice Ware, Caitlin Rollins, Cynthia Cole, Ellen Perrin, Christina Sakai, Frank Bednarek, Richard Ehrenkranz, Jennifer Benjamin, Angela Montgomery, Michael O'Shea, Lisa Washburn, Carl Bose, Diane Warner, Steve Engelke, Amanda Higginson, Jason Higginson, Kelly Bear, Mariel Poortenga, Steve Pastyrnak, Padu Karna, Nigel Paneth, Michael Schreiber, Scott Hunter, Danny Batton, Judith Klarr, Young Ah Lee, Rawad Obeid, Karen Christianson, Deborah Klein, Maureen Pimental, Collen Hallisey, Taryn Coster, Maddie Dolins, Ellen Nylen, Emily Neger, Kathryn Mattern, Lauren Venuti, Beth Powers, Ann Foley, Joanne Williams, Elaine Romano, Debbie Hiatt, Nancy Peters, Patricia Brown, Emily Ansusinha, Jazmyne James, Nou Yang, Gennie Bose, Janice Wereszczak, Janice Bernhardt, Donna Wilson, Nancy Darden-Saad, Dinah Sutton, Julie Rathbun, Cynthia Gile, Miras Karen, Carolyn Solomon, Deborah Weiland, Grace Yoon, Rugile Ramoskaite, Suzanne Wiggins, Krissy Washington, Ryan Martin, Barbara Prendergast, Emma Lynch, Anne Smith, Susan McQuiston, Samantha Butler, Rachel Wilson, Kirsten McGhee, Patricia Lee, Aimee Asgarian, Anjali Sadhwani, Brandi Henson, Cecelia Keller, Jenifer Walkowiak, Susan Barron, Alice Miller, Brian Dessureau, Molly Wood, Jill Damon-Minow, Elaine Romano, Linda Mayes, Kathy Tsatsanis, Katarzyna Chawarska, Sophy Kim, Susan Dieterich, Karen Bearrs, Ellen Waldrep, Jackie Friedman, Gail Hounshell, Debbie Allred, Rebecca Helms, Lynn Whitley, Gary Stainback, Lisa Bostic, Amanda Jacobson, Joni McKeeman, Echo Meyer, Steve Pastyrnak, Joan Price, Megan Lloyd, Susan Plesha-Troyke, Megan Scott, Katherine M Solomon, Kara Brooklier, Kelly Vogt

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School - Baystate, Springfield, MA. Electronic address: ruben.vaidya@baystatehealth.org.
² Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
³ Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.
⁴ Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Connecticut Children's, Hartford, CT.
⁶ Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ.
⁸ Department of Psychiatry, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA.
⁹ Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
¹⁰ Kennedy Research Center on Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
¹¹ Department of Pediatrics, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, NC.
¹² Department of Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.

PMID: 40581098
PMCID: PMC12288742 (available on 2026-06-27)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2025.114709

Multicenter Study

Count of Neonatal Morbidities Predicts Outcomes at Age 10 and 15 Years in Infants Born Extremely Preterm

Ruben Vaidya et al. J Pediatr. 2025 Oct.

. 2025 Oct:285:114709.

doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2025.114709. Epub 2025 Jun 27.

Authors

Collaborators

ELGAN-ECHO Study Investigators:
Julie V Rollins, Bhavesh Shah, Linda Van Marter, Camilla Martin, Janice Ware, Caitlin Rollins, Cynthia Cole, Ellen Perrin, Christina Sakai, Frank Bednarek, Richard Ehrenkranz, Jennifer Benjamin, Angela Montgomery, Michael O'Shea, Lisa Washburn, Carl Bose, Diane Warner, Steve Engelke, Amanda Higginson, Jason Higginson, Kelly Bear, Mariel Poortenga, Steve Pastyrnak, Padu Karna, Nigel Paneth, Michael Schreiber, Scott Hunter, Danny Batton, Judith Klarr, Young Ah Lee, Rawad Obeid, Karen Christianson, Deborah Klein, Maureen Pimental, Collen Hallisey, Taryn Coster, Maddie Dolins, Ellen Nylen, Emily Neger, Kathryn Mattern, Lauren Venuti, Beth Powers, Ann Foley, Joanne Williams, Elaine Romano, Debbie Hiatt, Nancy Peters, Patricia Brown, Emily Ansusinha, Jazmyne James, Nou Yang, Gennie Bose, Janice Wereszczak, Janice Bernhardt, Donna Wilson, Nancy Darden-Saad, Dinah Sutton, Julie Rathbun, Cynthia Gile, Miras Karen, Carolyn Solomon, Deborah Weiland, Grace Yoon, Rugile Ramoskaite, Suzanne Wiggins, Krissy Washington, Ryan Martin, Barbara Prendergast, Emma Lynch, Anne Smith, Susan McQuiston, Samantha Butler, Rachel Wilson, Kirsten McGhee, Patricia Lee, Aimee Asgarian, Anjali Sadhwani, Brandi Henson, Cecelia Keller, Jenifer Walkowiak, Susan Barron, Alice Miller, Brian Dessureau, Molly Wood, Jill Damon-Minow, Elaine Romano, Linda Mayes, Kathy Tsatsanis, Katarzyna Chawarska, Sophy Kim, Susan Dieterich, Karen Bearrs, Ellen Waldrep, Jackie Friedman, Gail Hounshell, Debbie Allred, Rebecca Helms, Lynn Whitley, Gary Stainback, Lisa Bostic, Amanda Jacobson, Joni McKeeman, Echo Meyer, Steve Pastyrnak, Joan Price, Megan Lloyd, Susan Plesha-Troyke, Megan Scott, Katherine M Solomon, Kara Brooklier, Kelly Vogt

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School - Baystate, Springfield, MA. Electronic address: ruben.vaidya@baystatehealth.org.
² Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
³ Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.
⁴ Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Connecticut Children's, Hartford, CT.
⁶ Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ.
⁸ Department of Psychiatry, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA.
⁹ Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
¹⁰ Kennedy Research Center on Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
¹¹ Department of Pediatrics, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, NC.
¹² Department of Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.

PMID: 40581098
PMCID: PMC12288742 (available on 2026-06-27)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2025.114709

Abstract

Objective: To assess whether a simple count of 5 common neonatal morbidities, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), ultrasound-identified severe brain injury (SBI), severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), surgical necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and sepsis predict long-term neurocognitive impairment, general medical health, behavioral health, or quality of life (QOL) at age 10 and 15 years in children born extremely preterm.

Study design: Participants from the multicenter, prospective, longitudinal study extremely low gestational age newborns (ELGANs) were followed at ages 10 and 15 years and were categorized into groups with 0, 1, 2, or ≥3 neonatal morbidities (BPD, SBI, ROP, NEC, or sepsis). Long-term neurocognitive outcomes were assessed using latent profiles generated from standardized tests of intelligence and executive function. General medical health, behavioral health, and QOL were assessed using standardized assessments.

Results: Of 1198 participants who survived to age 10 889 (74.2%) and 694 (57.9%) were evaluated at age 10 and 15 years, respectively. The number of neonatal morbidities was linearly related to the probability of moderate-to-severe neurocognitive impairment at age 10 and 15 years, and the probability of motor impairment, legal blindness, severe hearing loss, number of health disorders, ≥2 health disorders, and poor QOL at age 10 years.

Conclusions: Among newborns born extremely preterm who survive long-term, a simple count of neonatal morbidities (including BPD, SBI, ROP, NEC, or sepsis) is linearly related to neurocognitive impairment, poor general health, and QOL.

Keywords: bronchopulmonary dysplasia; extremely low gestational age newborns; intraventricular hemorrhage; necrotizing enterocolitis; retinopathy of prematurity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest This study was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (grants 5U01NS040069-05 and 2R01NS040069-09) and the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health (5UH3OD023348-06). The authors have no financial relationships or any other conflicts of interest relevant to this article to disclose.

References

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Count of Neonatal Morbidities Predicts Outcomes at Age 10 and 15 Years in Infants Born Extremely Preterm

Collaborators

Affiliations

Count of Neonatal Morbidities Predicts Outcomes at Age 10 and 15 Years in Infants Born Extremely Preterm

Authors

Collaborators

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical