Morbidity and neurological function of very low birthweight infants from the newborn period to 4 y of age. A prospective study from the south-east region of Sweden.
All 107 infants weighing < or = 1500 g at birth (VLBW) and born alive in the south-east region of Sweden during a 15-month period in 1987-88 were enrolled in a prospective study to determine the prevalence of handicap and to assess neurological function in comparison with controls. Eighty-six (80%) infants survived. Twenty (19%) had intracranial haemorrhages (ICH) assessed by ultrasound examinations in the neonatal period and 2 (2.3%) retinopathy of prematurity stage 3 or more. The VLBW infants who survived had fewer optimal neurological responses than the controls at 40 weeks post-conceptional age. Eighty-two VLBW children were followed to 4 y of age. Three (4%) children had a neurological handicap and 9 (11%) had a moderate neurological deviation. Neither the size of ICH nor neonatal optimality score correlated to neurological outcome at 4 y of age. The VLBW children without neurological handicap or deviation (n = 70) had a delay in psychomotor development in comparison with the controls. Mental development and school performance, in particular language development, will be examined at school age.
Department of Paediatrics, Västervik Hospital, Sweden.
B
B
Bylund
T
T
Cervin
O
O
Finnström
P O
PO
Gäddlin
A
A
Kernell
I
I
Leijon
P
P
Sandstedt
O
O
Wärngård
D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010298:Parity; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology