I appreciate the response by Zanardo et al to the editorial and the opportunity to correct the definition of late preterm (LP) birth provided there. As they appropriately point out, LP infants are typically defined as those delivered between 34 and 36 6/7 weeks’ gestational age and thus exclude infants with a gestational age of 32 to 33 6/7 weeks.

Zanardo et al also identified 2 important directions for future research. Consistent with the study design employed by Lipkind et al, the authors highlighted the benefits of examining outcomes for infants with gestational ages across the continuum from moderate preterm to LP birth (ie, 32 to 36 6/7 weeks). Although the majority of LP children are born at the upper end of this spectrum, samples that include infants delivered at 32 to 33 6/7 weeks’ gestational age provide an opportunity to learn more about outcomes for infants with moderate preterm birth and may enhance our ability to identify mechanisms responsible for the association of decreasing gestational age with increasing childhood learning, cognitive, and behavior problems.

The second recommendation of Zanardo et al was to consider practices for caring for moderate preterm and LP infants. Data reported by Lipkind et al and other investigators suggested that variable procedures are employed in the initial treatment and follow-up of these infants. Examples include neonatal intensive care unit vs regular nursery care and differences in the extent and type of neonatal readmissions and in-home follow-up medical procedures. Tracking of care paths would be useful in examining factors related to this variability and the implications of different care paths for later health and developmental outcomes.