Neurobehavioural outcomes after term IUGR from adolescence to adulthood: a cross-species scoping review

Abstract

Abstract Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with long-term neurobehavioural alterations. This scoping review mapped evidence on neurobehavioural outcomes following IUGR in term-born humans and preclinical animal models. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, six databases were searched from January 1985 to February 2025. Clinical studies were included if they assessed motor, cognitive, or anxiety outcomes in adolescents or young adults born at term with IUGR, small for gestational age (SGA), or low birth weight (LBW). Preclinical studies were included if IUGR was induced via placental insufficiency and behavioural outcomes evaluated at equivalent developmental stages. Data were charted and synthesised narratively. Twenty-eight studies (16 clinical, 12 preclinical) were included. Motor and cognitive outcomes were frequently assessed; anxiety-related behaviours were examined in fewer clinical studies despite frequent assessment in preclinical models. Motor coordination and memory outcomes were reported in both human and animal studies, though inconsistent diagnostic criteria and heterogeneous outcome measures limited cross-species comparisons. Most clinical studies classified participants as SGA or LBW; only two applied antenatal criteria to confirm IUGR. This evidence map reveals broad coverage of motor and cognitive domains but limited examination of anxiety outcomes in clinical populations. Standardising diagnostics and aligning behavioural assessments across species are priorities for translational comparability. This review was originally registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020197400) as a systematic review. The protocol has since been adapted to a scoping review framework; the PROSPERO registration reflects the original systematic review methodology, as PROSPERO does not accept scoping review registration. The adapted methodology is described in the Methods section below. Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42020197400 . Impact This is the first scoping review to map both clinical and preclinical evidence on neurobehavioural outcomes following IUGR beyond childhood into adolescence and young adulthood. Motor and cognitive outcomes are widely studied across species, but anxiety domains remain under-examined, particularly in human cohorts. Diagnostic inconsistency (SGA/LBW used as proxies for IUGR) and narrow species representation in preclinical studies are major barriers to translational alignment.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Pediatric Research, 2026 · DOI ↗