Thiviya Selvanathan, Steven Ufkes, Ting Guo, Vann Chau, Helen M Branson, George M Ibrahim, Linh G Ly, Edmond N Kelly, Ruth E Grunau, Steven P Miller
IMPORTANCE: Early-life exposure to painful procedures has been associated with altered brain maturation and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants, although sex-specific differences are largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine sex-specific associations among early-life pain exposure, alterations in neonatal structural connectivity, and 18-month neurodevelopment in preterm infants. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prospective cohort study recruited 193 very preterm infants from April 1, 2015, to April 1, 2019, across 2 tertiary neonatal intensive care units in Toronto, Canada...
March 4, 2024: JAMA Network Open