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Evaluation ViewAttendees 60

Academic and Research Skills

Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Epidemiology

Health Equity/Social Determinants of Health

Mental Health

Neonatology

Neurology

Trainee
Session Type: Hot Topic Symposia

Opening the Black Box: The Social Environment and Developmental Outcome of Children born Preterm

Monday, April 28, 2025
2:00pm – 3:30pm HST
Location: Convention Center: Kalākaua Ballroom A (Level 4)
CE: CME: 1.5
Ethics CME: 1.5

Selected By: NBS
Co-sponsored By: CNS, SDBP, Neonatal
Disclosure(s):
Steven Miller, MDCM MAS: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Dieter Wolke, PhD DR hc mult: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

The current approach to research of children born preterm is the investigation of neonatal exposure (e.g. preterm birth, medical complications) and its associations to mainly adverse outcomes such as impairment. This pathology focussed approach overlooks how many preterm born children develop well following medical complexity. A radical refocussing of follow-up research requires moving away from repeated documentation of adverse outcomes after neonatal exposure to studying positive adaptation in the face of this early adversity. This is done by adopting a developmental and life course approach and the study of developmental plasticity, i.e. changes in timing of development, structure or function of biological or psychological systems across the life course. Thus, the focus shifts from documentation of impairment to understanding who and why many at risk children do better in their development than expected based on their neonatal exposure. This may be done by studying alternative models of how social environment alters developmental trajectories including models of vulnerability, resilience or differential susceptibility. Speakers will provide examples of how social environment may alter brain development, behaviour and academic functioning or allows to master life tasks into adulthood. This will include a look at how and why minority status is associated with developmental outcome. Suggestions are made for universal and targeted interventions that go beyond improving medical neonatal care but continue across the life-course.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify social factors in preterm children's environment that enhance their developmental outcome
  • Classify home and social environment factors in those that are modifiable by practical interventions and those that require wider policy changes
  • Promote innovative research to distinguish alternative models of how different social factors positively affect different development outcomes

Presentations:

  • 2:00pm – 2:03pm HST
    Introduction

    Speaker: Steven Miller, MDCM MAS – University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine

  • 2:03pm – 2:21pm HST
    The Importance of the Everyday for Modifying Outcomes of Neonatal Brain Injury

    Speaker: Steven Miller, MDCM MAS – University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine

  • 2:21pm – 2:39pm HST
    Risks and Protective Factors for the Mental Health and School Readiness of Immigrant Children Born Preterm

    Speaker: Julia Jaekel, PhD, habil. (she/her/hers) – University of Oulu

  • 2:39pm – 2:57pm HST
    Parenting and Academic Achievement in Childhood Mediate the Association of Very Preterm Birth and Adult Outcomes

    Speaker: Dieter Wolke, PhD DR hc mult (he/him/his) – University of Warwick

  • 2:57pm – 3:15pm HST
    Effects of a Family Income Supplement on Adult Outcomes of Children Exposed to Neonatal Adversity

    Speaker: William Copeland, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – The University of Vermont

  • 3:15pm – 3:30pm HST
    Q & A