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Neurocognitive function of 10-year-old multiples born less than 28 weeks of gestational age

Journal of Perinatology volume 39, pages 237–247 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Introduction

Few studies have examined the relationship between birth plurality and neurocognitive function among children born extremely preterm.

Study design

We compared rates of Z-scores ≤−2 on 18 tests of neurocognitive function and academic achievement at age 10 years in 245 children arising from twin pregnancies, 55 from triplet pregnancies, and 6 from a septuplet pregnancy to that of 568 singletons, all of whom were born before the 28th week of gestation.

Results

In total, 874 children were evaluated at the age of 10 years. After adjusting for confounders, children of multifetal pregnancies performed significantly better on one of six subtests of executive function than their singleton peers. Performance was similar on all other assessments of intelligence, language, academic achievement, processing speed, visual perception, and fine motor skills.

Conclusion

We found no evidence that children born of multifetal pregnancies had worse scores than their singleton peers on assessments of neurocognitive and academic function.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to the children and their families who participated in this study. They also gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the ELGAN Study Investigators, listed below. The primary author acknowledges the ongoing support of Dr. Leif Nelin and colleagues at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH.

Funding

This study was supported by funding from The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (5U01NS040069-05 and 2R01NS040069-06A2), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (5P30HD018655-34), and from the NIH Office of Director (1UGOD023348-01).

The ELGAN Study Investigators

Janice Ware9, Taryn Coster9, Brandi Henson9, Rachel Wilson9, Kirsten McGhee9, Patricia Lee9, Aimee Asgarian9, Anjali Sadhwani9, Ellen Perrin10, Emily Neger10, Kathryn Mattern10, Jenifer Walkowiak10, Susan Barron10, Jean Frazier11, Lauren Venuti11, Beth Powers11, Ann Foley11, Brian Dessureau11, Molly Wood11, Jill Damon-Minow11, Richard Ehrenkranz12, Jennifer Benjamin12, Elaine Romano12, Kathy Tsatsanis12, Katarzyna Chawarska12, Sophy Kim12, Susan Dieterich12, Karen Bearrs12, T. Michael O’Shea13, Nancy Peters13, Patricia Brown13, Emily Ansusinha13, Ellen Waldrep13, Jackie Friedman13, Gail Hounshell13, Debbie Allred13, Stephen C. Engelke14, Nancy Darden-Saad14, Gary Stainback14, Diane Warner15, Janice Wereszczak15, Janice Bernhardt15, Joni McKeeman15, Echo Meyer15, Steve Pastyrnak16, Wendy Burdo-Hartman16, Julie Rathbun16, Sarah Nota16, Teri Crumb16, Madeleine Lenski17, Deborah Weiland17, Megan Lloyd17, Scott Hunter18, Michael Msall18, Rugile Ramoskaite18, Suzanne Wiggins18, Krissy Washington18, Ryan Martin18, Barbara Prendergast18, Megan Scott18, Judith Klarr19, Beth Kring19, Jennifer DeRidder19, Kelly Vogt19

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA

    J. Wells Logan

  2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Elizabeth N. Allred & Alan Leviton

  3. Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Elizabeth N. Allred & Alan Leviton

  4. Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, JP Kennedy Research Center on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Chicago, IL, USA

    Michael E. Msall

  5. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Robert M. Joseph

  6. Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    T. T Michael O’Shea

  7. Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Timothy Heeren

  8. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Karl C. K. Kuban

  9. Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Janice Ware, Taryn Coster, Brandi Henson, Rachel Wilson, Kirsten McGhee, Patricia Lee, Aimee Asgarian & Anjali Sadhwani

  10. Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Ellen Perrin, Emily Neger, Kathryn Mattern, Jenifer Walkowiak & Susan Barron

  11. University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA

    Jean Frazier, Lauren Venuti, Beth Powers, Ann Foley, Brian Dessureau, Molly Wood & Jill Damon-Minow

  12. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Richard Ehrenkranz, Jennifer Benjamin, Elaine Romano, Kathy Tsatsanis, Katarzyna Chawarska, Sophy Kim, Susan Dieterich & Karen Bearrs

  13. Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

    T. Michael O’Shea, Nancy Peters, Patricia Brown, Emily Ansusinha, Ellen Waldrep, Jackie Friedman, Gail Hounshell & Debbie Allred

  14. University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina, Greenville, NC, USA

    Stephen C. Engelke, Nancy Darden-Saad & Gary Stainback

  15. North Carolina Children’s Hospital, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Diane Warner, Janice Wereszczak, Janice Bernhardt, Joni McKeeman & Echo Meyer

  16. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI, USA

    Steve Pastyrnak, Wendy Burdo-Hartman, Julie Rathbun, Sarah Nota & Teri Crumb

  17. Sparrow Hospital, Lansing, MI, USA

    Madeleine Lenski, Deborah Weiland & Megan Lloyd

  18. University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Scott Hunter, Michael Msall, Rugile Ramoskaite, Suzanne Wiggins, Krissy Washington, Ryan Martin, Barbara Prendergast & Megan Scott

  19. William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI, USA

    Judith Klarr, Beth Kring, Jennifer DeRidder & Kelly Vogt

Authors
  1. J. Wells Logan
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  2. Elizabeth N. Allred
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  3. Michael E. Msall
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  4. Robert M. Joseph
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  5. T. T Michael O’Shea
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  6. Timothy Heeren
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  7. Alan Leviton
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  8. Karl C. K. Kuban
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Consortia

for the ELGAN Study Investigators

  • Janice Ware
  • , Taryn Coster
  • , Brandi Henson
  • , Rachel Wilson
  • , Kirsten McGhee
  • , Patricia Lee
  • , Aimee Asgarian
  • , Anjali Sadhwani
  • , Ellen Perrin
  • , Emily Neger
  • , Kathryn Mattern
  • , Jenifer Walkowiak
  • , Susan Barron
  • , Jean Frazier
  • , Lauren Venuti
  • , Beth Powers
  • , Ann Foley
  • , Brian Dessureau
  • , Molly Wood
  • , Jill Damon-Minow
  • , Richard Ehrenkranz
  • , Jennifer Benjamin
  • , Elaine Romano
  • , Kathy Tsatsanis
  • , Katarzyna Chawarska
  • , Sophy Kim
  • , Susan Dieterich
  • , Karen Bearrs
  • , T. Michael O’Shea
  • , Nancy Peters
  • , Patricia Brown
  • , Emily Ansusinha
  • , Ellen Waldrep
  • , Jackie Friedman
  • , Gail Hounshell
  • , Debbie Allred
  • , Stephen C. Engelke
  • , Nancy Darden-Saad
  • , Gary Stainback
  • , Diane Warner
  • , Janice Wereszczak
  • , Janice Bernhardt
  • , Joni McKeeman
  • , Echo Meyer
  • , Steve Pastyrnak
  • , Wendy Burdo-Hartman
  • , Julie Rathbun
  • , Sarah Nota
  • , Teri Crumb
  • , Madeleine Lenski
  • , Deborah Weiland
  • , Megan Lloyd
  • , Scott Hunter
  • , Michael Msall
  • , Rugile Ramoskaite
  • , Suzanne Wiggins
  • , Krissy Washington
  • , Ryan Martin
  • , Barbara Prendergast
  • , Megan Scott
  • , Judith Klarr
  • , Beth Kring
  • , Jennifer DeRidder
  •  & Kelly Vogt

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Wells Logan.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Logan, J.W., Allred, E.N., Msall, M.E. et al. Neurocognitive function of 10-year-old multiples born less than 28 weeks of gestational age. J Perinatol 39, 237–247 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-018-0273-x

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