Early developmental progress of preterm twins discordant for birthweight and risk

Abstract

Studies of developmental progress in high-risk twins have disparate findings. In this study, we report the outcome of 45 twin pairs born between 26 and 37 weeks gestation, and whose birthweights ranged from 840 to 2000 g. No significant differences were found for weight, risk and birth order. However, earlier preterm infants were found to have significantly lower mental scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 24 months, and lower IQ scores on the Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale at 36 months. These findings imply that gestational age is a powerful variable in determining developmental outcome.