Observational studyArchives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition2014
Abnormal sensory reactivity in preterm infants during the first year correlates with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years of age.
Observational study in Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Sensory modulation in preterm children: Theoretical perspective and systematic review.PloS one · 2017Pooled it
- SENSORY PROCESSING DURING CHILDHOOD IN PRETERM INFANTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.Revista paulista de pediatria : orgao oficial da Sociedade de Pediatria de Sao PauloPooled it
- Effects of SAFE Early Intervention Approach in the First Months of Life in Infants at Risk: A Randomized Controlled Study.Child: care, health and development · 2025Trial
- Pattern of sensory processing disorder in school-aged preterm children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2026Article
- Sensory Processing and Perceptual Alterations in Children Born Preterm: A Scoping Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- The origins of embodiment: behavioral and cardiovascular responses to music in very preterm newborns.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Developmental Progression of Inhibitory Control and Flexible Problem-Solving among Infants with Histories of Preterm Birth.Developmental neuroscience · 2026Article
- Impact of Prematurity and Maternal Bonding on Sensory Processing at 12 Months.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- A Narrative Review of Neurodevelopmental, Psychiatric, and Behavioral Consequences of Preterm Birth.Cureus · 2025Review
- Implementation and Strategy in Developmental Care Practice in Infants with Congenital Heart Disease in Intensive Care Unit: Scoping Review.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2025Review
- Investigating Task-Free Functional Connectivity Patterns in Newborns Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.Brain and behavior · 2024Article
- Relationship between sensory processing skills and motor skills in 12-month-old infants.Brain and behavior · 2024Article
- Article
- Can tactile reactivity in preterm born infants be explained by an immature cortical response to tactile stimulation in the first year? A pilot study.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2023Article
- A Comparison of the Clinical Presentation of Preterm Birth and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Commonalities and Distinctions in Children Under 3.Clinics in perinatology · 2023Review
- Serial neuroimaging of brain growth and development in very preterm infants receiving tailored neuropromotive support in the NICU. Protocol for a prospective cohort study.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2023Article
- Atypical Sensory Processing and Its Correlation with Behavioral Problems in Late Preterm Children at Age Two.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- The potential effects of NICU environment and multisensory stimulation in prematurity.Pediatric research · 2020Article
- Extremely preterm children exhibit altered cortical thickness in language areas.Scientific reports · 2020Observational
- Neuromotor and sensory development in preterm infants: prospective study.Turk pediatri arsivi · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSensory experience is the basis for learning in infancy. In older children, abnormal sensory reactivity is associated with behavioural and developmental disorders. We hypothesised that in preterm infants, abnormal sensory reactivity during infancy would be associated with perinatal characteristics and correlate with 2-year neurodevelopmental outcomes.
methodsWe conducted a prospective observational study of infants with birth weight ≤1500 g using the Test of Sensory Function in Infants (TSFI) in the first year. Infants with gestational age ≤30 weeks were tested with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III (BSID III) at 24 months.
resultsOf the 72 participants evaluated at 4-12 months corrected age (median 8 months), 59 (82%) had a least one TSFI score concerning for abnormal sensory reactivity. Lower gestational age was associated with abnormal reactivity to deep pressure and vestibular stimulation (p<0.001). Poor ocular-motor control predicted worse cognitive and motor scores in early childhood (OR 16.7; p=0.004), but was tightly correlated to the presence of severe white matter injury. Poor adaptive motor function in response to tactile stimuli predicted worse BSID III motor (p=0.01) and language scores (p=0.04) at 2 years, even after adjusting for confounders.
conclusionsAbnormal sensory reactivity is common in preterm infants; is associated with immaturity at birth, severe white matter injury and lower primary caregiver education; and predicts neurodevelopmental delays. Early identification of abnormal sensory reactivity of very preterm infants may promote parental support and education and may facilitate improved neurodevelopment.
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