Within IMPROVE PRETERM, UKW contributes recognized expertise in developmental pediatrics, clinical trials, and epidemiology. The hospital coordinates key data sources, including the German Neonatal Network (GNN) and the PRIMAL study, both of which provide valuable long-term follow-up information on children born very preterm. These datasets – covering outcomes such as lung function, physical fitness, immune development, cognition, and behavior – will be connected to the RECAP Preterm platform to support large-scale European analyses.

Together with NTNU, UKW leads work to evaluate how different follow-up strategies and assessment methods across European cohorts influence developmental outcomes. The team also investigates how early childhood interventions, such as physiotherapy or early intervention programs, affect outcomes that matter most to families and individuals with lived experience.