Beyond Survival: Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Preterm Birth in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Low- and middle-income countries account for the greatest burden of preterm birth globally; however, there is limited understanding of neurodevelopmental outcomes of survivors within these resource-constrained settings. To accelerate progress, current priorities are to generate more high-quality data; engage with diverse local stakeholders including families of infants born preterm to identify neurodevelopmental outcomes meaningful to them within their contexts; and develop sustainable, scalable, high-quality models of neonatal follow-up, codesigned with local stakeholders, addressing the unique needs of low- and middle-income countries. Advocacy is critical to recognize optimal neurodevelopment as an "outcome of priority" along with the reduction in mortality.