Developmental perspectives in relation to perinatal stress in prematurely born children

This project aims to develop a perinatal stress calculator, based on the measurement of different neonatal, endocrinological, psychological and physiological stress-related parameters. The goal is to calculate differences in outcome in terms of motor, cognitive, visual and socio-emotional development in ex-premature children, as a starting point for early therapy. In a first phase, various pre- and perinatal parameters have already been measured and new techniques have been developed to map stress-related heart rate variability and EEG maturation in an automated manner. This follow-up project focusses on the ultimate outcome of the children in relation to the previous measurements, in order to enable the early recognition of developmental problems and dysregulation and to study the influence of resilience on this development. The results will also be taken to the prematurely born children with brain damage, who are even more vulnerable.