[Follow-up recommendations for the late preterm infant].

Abstract

The population of late preterm infants (PT), those born between 34+0 and 36+6 weeks of gestation, accounts for 70-74% of all premature infants, and is not specifically included in most of the follow-up protocols for preterm infants. For many years, PTs have been handled as if they were term newborns, which has led to a limited knowledge of their outcome in the medium and long term. Their neonatal morbidity is associated with a higher incidence of postnatal complications, with an increased rate of hospital re-admissions due to malnutrition, hyperbilirubinaemia, and respiratory problems, when compared to term infants. Cerebral immaturity may be the main cause of the deficits observed in the long-term neurodevelopment of this population, making them more vulnerable. Several issues have been described, such as delays or disabilities in the pre-school stage, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, intellectual disability, schizophrenia, and psychological development of behavioural and emotional disorders. The SEN34-36 Group of the Spanish Society of Neonatology, in collaboration with the Spanish Association of Primary Care Paediatrics, have developed these follow-up recommendations with the main objective of reducing the impact of prematurity on PT development. The secondary objectives of the document are to make neonatologists and paediatricians aware of the risks of sequelae of PTs, to determine and unify the evaluations and / or interventions that should be carried out, to offer clinical follow-up tools for the early detection of developmental delays, and to coordinate the care by all the professionals involved.