title: Electrophysiological studies in preterm and growth retarded low birth weight babies.
abstract: Twenty-six fullterm intrauterine growth retarded (FT-IUGR) and 17 preterm appropriate for gestational age (PT-AGA) babies constituted study subjects. Offsprings were subjected to anthropometry (weight, crown-heel length and head circumference) and motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) as well as H-reflex latency (H-RL) at right median nerve. The PT-AGA babies had significantly lower MNCV and higher H-RL compared to FT-IUGR babies. When intrauterine growth retardation was severe (weight group 1500-1800 g) the means for MNCV and H-RL between FT-IUGR babies and PT-AGA babies of comparable weight were similar. FT-IUGR babies weighing between 1800-2100 g had significantly higher MNCV and lower H-RL compared to FT-IUGR babies weighing < 1800 g. The FT-IUGR babies where all the three anthropometric parameters were retarded (symmetrical intrauterine growth retardation) had significantly lower MNCV and higher H-RL compared to FT-IUGR babies where weight alone or in combination with crown-heel length was retarded.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Prakash
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D002508:Cephalometry; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006181:H-Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D006257:Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology