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  • Clinical Research Article
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Latent social communication cognition growth trajectories of term and preterm infants/toddlers based on caregiver report

Pediatric Research (2025)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Analysis of developmental trajectories is crucial to understand how and when neurodevelopmental vulnerability contributes to social, communication, and cognitive impairments. We report on an online, longitudinal caregiver-report tool that characterizes the growth trajectories of social communication cognition (SCG) abilities in infants/toddlers born term or preterm.

Methods

Longitudinal item response theory modeling was used to estimate item parameters of caregiver ratings on the SCG domain of PediaTracTM in a sample of 571 neonates (331 term, 240 preterm) from the newborn period to 18 months. Moderating effects of sex was examined. It was hypothesized: 1) trajectories of the latent trait SCG could be estimated by gamma1 (slope) with alpha discrimination in the high range; and 2) term status differences in gamma1 could be demonstrated over 18 months.

Results

The longitudinal SCG trajectory was estimated with high discrimination (α = 1.48). Preterm infants exhibited a slower rate of SCG growth (gamma1 p < 0.0001), detectable by 9 months of age (longitudinal theta p = 0.02). Females exhibited more rapid SCG growth.

Conclusion

The SCG items of PediaTrac are highly informative across the first 18 months. Growth trajectories in social communication cognition development may be an important indicator of neurodevelopmental risk and treatment effects.

Impact

  • This is the first caregiver report instrument that can characterize the longitudinal growth trajectory of social communication cognition development over infancy/toddlerhood.

  • The longitudinal trajectory for the caregiver reported social communication cognition (SCG) domain of PediaTrac could reliably discriminate infants/toddlers at different levels of ability by term and preterm status.

  • Significant term status differences in development could be detected by 9 months of age.

  • Biological sex differences in social communication cognition development were detected by 12 months of age.

  • Including caregivers in digital reporting and child-centered monitoring of social communication cognition development over time may improve access to care.

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Data availability

Selected raw data of this investigation will be made available to the National Database for Autism Research at the completion of this project. The computer code, syntax, and/or analysis code on which the study results are derived are not yet available. The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available yet as this is a longitudinal investigation that is still underway. Upon completion of the longitudinal investigation, the datasets generated during this study will be deposited into the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR).

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the generous time commitment and effort of the caregivers who participated in the PediaTrac project. This study was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number (R01HD095957). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. SW effort also was supported in part by the Mildred E. Swanson Foundation.

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Author notes

  1. Deceased: Judith Brooks.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Renée Lajiness-O’Neill

  2. Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA

    Renée Lajiness-O’Neill, Michelle Lobermeier, Angela D. Staples, Judith Brooks, Casey Swick, Samantha Goldstein, Amanda Hicks, Jennifer Cano, Shannon Franz & Gabrielle LeDoux

  3. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Renée Lajiness-O’Neill, Seth Warschausky, Najae Dixon & Kirsten Oard

  4. Institute of Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Patricia Berglund & Trivellore Raghunathan

  5. Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA

    Alissa Huth-Bocks

  6. Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Alissa Huth-Bocks

  7. Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    H. Gerry Taylor

  8. Nursing, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA

    Angela Lukomski

  9. Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Lesa Dieter, Jazmine Kirkland, Yanisa Robbins & Emily Gorjanc

Authors
  1. Renée Lajiness-O’Neill
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  2. Patricia Berglund
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  3. Seth Warschausky
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Consortia

The PediaTrac Consortium

  • Judith Brooks
  • , Casey Swick
  • , Samantha Goldstein
  • , Michelle Lobermeier
  • , Amanda Hicks
  • , Jennifer Cano
  • , Shannon Franz
  • , Najae Dixon
  • , Kirsten Oard
  • , Lesa Dieter
  • , Jazmine Kirkland
  • , Yanisa Robbins
  • , Emily Gorjanc
  •  & Gabrielle LeDoux

Contributions

Conception and design of the study: R.L.O., T.R., P.B., S.W., A.H.B., H.G.T. and A.L. Acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data: T.R., P.B., A.S., M.L., R.L.O., S.W., A.H.B. and H.G.T. Drafting and revising the manuscript: original: R.L.O., M.L., P.B., S.W., A.H.B., H.G.T., A.S. and T.R. Final approval: R.L.O., T.R., P.B., A.H.B., S.W., H.G.T., A.S. and A.L.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Renée Lajiness-O’Neill.

Ethics declarations

Consent statement

This study was approved by the University of Michigan Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Record (HUM00151584), and a Reliant IRB was obtained across the collaborating institutions. Participant consent was required and included a waiver of written consent. Participants consented by returning the requested research materials.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Lajiness-O’Neill, R., Berglund, P., Warschausky, S. et al. Latent social communication cognition growth trajectories of term and preterm infants/toddlers based on caregiver report. Pediatr Res (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-025-04112-y

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