MDI and Bayley-III cognitive/language scales were administered concurrently in 185 extremely preterm children (¡Ü26 weeks) at 29-41 months of age. Cognitive and language scores were combined (combined Bayley-III score [CB-III scores]) for comparison with MDI scores.
Bayley-III cognitive and language scores were 10 and 3 points higher than MDI scores, respectively; CB-III scores were 7 points higher. The relationship between CB-III and MDI scores was not a simple offset: CB-III values were increasingly higher than MDI at lower scores. Bayley-III scores underidentified MDI scores <70 (sensitivity 58 % ; specificity 100 % ). An algorithm for converting Bayley-III scores into MDI scores improved predictive value (sensitivity 95 % ; specificity 97 % ). Bayley-III scores <80 were similarly predictive (sensitivity 89 % ; specificity 99 % ).
We recommend caution in the interpretation of Bayley-III scores in population studies as the correlation with the previous edition appears worse at lower test score values and the predictive value for IQ is as yet unclear.