Social & economic neighborhood opportunity as predictors of neurodevelopmental outcomes in high-risk infants.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether neighborhood opportunity is associated with language, cognitive, and motor outcomes among NICU graduates. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 103 infants followed in a NICU follow-up clinic in New York City (2021-2022). Neighborhood opportunity was measured using the Child Opportunity Index (COI) 3.0. Development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 4th Edition (BSID-IV) at 17.5-24 months corrected age. Multivariable linear regression models adjusted for clinical and sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: Infants residing in lower-opportunity neighborhoods had lower BSID-IV scores. The Social and Economic COI domain was the only domain significantly associated with outcomes and was associated with higher language (β = 7.10, p = 0.031) and motor (β = 6.48, p = 0.012) scores. CONCLUSION: Lower neighborhood opportunity, particularly within the social and economic domain, is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes among NICU graduates.