Selection process and eligibility criteria
Two reviewers (X.Z. and A.P.) independently screened titles and abstracts using self-designed Excel spreadsheets. After that potentially eligible studies were retrieved for full-text screening. Two reviewers (X.Z. and A.P.) independently performed a second eligibility check for the studies retrieved. Any disagreements were fully discussed until consensus was obtained, and if any uncertainty was left, a third reviewer was consulted (D.W.).
We included studies that evaluated the association of LGA babies born at early-term and cognitive or academic outcomes, or those evaluated the independent effects of early-term birth or LGA on cognitive or academic outcomes. We excluded animal studies, reviews, case reports, editorials, comments, conference abstracts and studies that targeted populations defined by specific health conditions.