Children born very preterm (VP <32 weeks gestation) and/or with very low birth weight (VBLW <1500 g
Research gap analysis derived from 3 psychology papers in our local library.
The gap
BACKGROUND: Children born very preterm (VP <32 weeks gestation) and/or with very low birth weight (VBLW <1500 g; subsequently VP/VLBW) have been previously reported to have more cognitive impairment and specific executive functioning problems than term children; however, it remains unclear whether these problems persist into adulthood.
Evidence profile
Sourced from the abstract and stated research gap and future-work section and stated challenges of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2014 and 2025, spanning 3 journals. Those papers have been cited 169 times in total.
Research trend
Established — well-defined area with open sub-problems.
Supporting evidence — 5 representative gaps
- Neuro‐cognitive performance of very preterm or very low birth weight adults at 26 years (2014) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · cited 151× · doi
BACKGROUND: Children born very preterm (VP <32 weeks gestation) and/or with very low birth weight (VBLW <1500 g; subsequently VP/VLBW) have been previously reported to have more cognitive impairment and specific executive functioning problems than term children; however, it remains unclear whether these problems persist into adulthood.
generalabstractevidence 5/5Keywords: children problems background born preterm weeks gestation birth weight vblw subsequently vlbw previously reported cognitive - Dietary glycemic index and load during pregnancy and offspring behavioral outcomes: exploring sex differences (2025) · European Journal of Pediatrics · cited 6× · doi
Given the importance of carbohydrates during pregnancy and the limited evidence on the impact of its excessive intake on offspring neurodevelopment, this study aimed to assess the associations between maternal glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) during early and late pregnancy and behavior problems in 4-year-old children, considering potential sex-related differences in susceptibility to maternal diet.
generalabstractevidence 5/5Keywords: pregnancy maternal glycemic given importance carbohydrates limited evidence impact excessive intake offspring neurodevelopment aimed assess - Neurodevelopmental Pathways from Maternal Obesity to Offspring Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Cognitive and Behavioral Consequences Across Development (2025) · Healthcare · cited 4× · doi
There is a need to synthesize evidence on the neurodevelopmental pathways linking maternal obesity to offspring cognitive, executive, and behavioral outcomes. The current literature lacks a comprehensive overview of the methodological quality of existing studies, including study design characteristics, sample demographics, exposure assessment methods, outcome measurement approaches, control of confounding variables, and generalizability across diverse populations.
generalstated research gapevidence 5/5Keywords: there need synthesize evidence neurodevelopmental pathways linking maternal - Neurodevelopmental Pathways from Maternal Obesity to Offspring Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Cognitive and Behavioral Consequences Across Development (2025) · Healthcare · cited 4× · doi
Investigate the effects of maternal obesity on offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes in specific contexts or populations, - Examine the role of paternal factors in the association between maternal obesity and offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes, - Develop interventions to prevent or mitigate the effects of maternal obesity on offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes
generalfuture-work sectionevidence 5/5Keywords: investigate effects maternal obesity offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes specific - Neurodevelopmental Pathways from Maternal Obesity to Offspring Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Cognitive and Behavioral Consequences Across Development (2025) · Healthcare · cited 4× · doi
The review highlights the challenges of synthesizing evidence on the neurodevelopmental pathways linking maternal obesity to offspring cognitive, executive, and behavioral outcomes. The review notes the limitations of existing studies, including the lack of prospectively measured pre-pregnancy BMI in many studies. The review discusses the challenges of examining the dose-response relationships between maternal weight status and offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes.
generalstated challengesevidence 5/5Keywords: review highlights challenges synthesizing evidence neurodevelopmental pathways linking
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