Preterm birth, socioeconomic status, and white matter development across childhood.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Preterm birth and socioeconomic status (SES) are associated with brain development in early life, but the contribution of each over time is uncertain. We examined the effects of gestational age (GA) and SES on white matter microstructure in the neonatal period and at five years.

Methods

Participants included preterm and term children. Diffusion MRI was collected at term-equivalent age (n=153 preterm, n=90 term [127/243 female]) and from a subset at five years (n=26 preterm, n=32 term [22/58 female]). We assessed linear associations of GA, SES (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation [SIMD] and maternal education), and GA×SES interactions on fractional anisotropy (FA) using tract-based spatial statistics. We compared the proportion of voxels with significant associa

SUBMITTER: Mckinnon K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12204441 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature