The 6th Congress of Joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS) brought together experts, families, and advocates from across Europe. The meeting focused on new ways to improve the health and development of preterm and newborn infants. IMPROVE PRETERM at jENS 2025 played an active role in these discussions and shared new research that supports better care for babies born very preterm.
jENS is one of Europe’s most important gatherings for neonatal health. It offers a space for learning, connecting, and shaping the future of clinical practice. For IMPROVE PRETERM, the event provided a great opportunity to highlight ongoing work and strengthen collaboration across the neonatal community.
Key Contributions from IMPROVE PRETERM Partners
New Insights Into Survival Differences in Extremely Preterm Births
Andrei Morgan (INSERM) shared new findings on survival patterns among extremely preterm infants. His presentation, “Are there survival differences according to sex in extremely preterm populations?”, explored almost 50 years of data from European cohorts and Nordic registers.
This study began in the RECAP Preterm project, which laid the foundation for IMPROVE PRETERM. The research showed how large, harmonized datasets help us understand long-term trends. It also demonstrated why building and expanding the RECAP platform is so important for future studies.
Comparing Parental and Clinical Assessments in Follow-Up Care
Jennifer Zeitlin (also INSERM) presented early results from the IMPROVE PRETERM project. Her talk, “Comparison Between Clinical and Parental Assessments for Research on Cognitive Abilities in Children Born Extremely Preterm,” examined how parent-reported questionnaires compare with clinical testing.
The study used data from one of the cohorts on the RECAP platform. It showed that parent questionnaires may offer a practical and cost-effective way to follow children as they grow. This work supports one of the main goals of IMPROVE PRETERM: creating reliable tools that make developmental follow-up easier for families and health professionals.
Why jENS Matters for IMPROVE PRETERM
IMPROVE PRETERM gained visibility and support through its presence at jENS. The congress brought together clinicians, researchers, and parent representatives. As a result, partners were able to exchange ideas, identify new opportunities, and strengthen the network behind the project.
In addition, the research presented at jENS showed how the project combines strong science with real-world impact. It also highlighted the value of long-term data, stakeholder involvement, and collaboration across countries.
The strong presence of partners from across Europe made IMPROVE PRETERM at jENS 2025 an important milestone for sharing knowledge and advancing collaborative neonatal research.