title: Neurosensory outcome and growth at three years in extremely low birthweight infants: follow-up results from the Swedish national prospective study.
abstract: A prospective national investigation comprising 633 extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants born alive in the 2-y period 1990-1992 with a birthweight of < or = 1000 g and gestational age of > or = 23 completed weeks was conducted regarding neurosensory outcome and growth. Three-hundred and sixty-two (98%) surviving ELBW infants were assessed at a median age of 36 months, using a specially designed protocol. At follow-up, mean height, weight and head circumference in both boys and girls were significantly lower than the reference values. The incidence of cerebral palsy was 7% among all children and 14%, 10% and 3% in children born at 23-24, 25-26 and > or = 27 gestational weeks, respectively. At least one obvious handicap was present in 14%, 9% and 3% of these three groups of children, respectively. After adjustment for gestational age, a significantly increased risk of handicap was found in children with intraventricular haemorrhage grade > or = 3 and/or periventricular leucomalacia and in children with retinopathy of prematurity stage > or = 3. The results show that more than 90% of ELBW children born at > or = 25 completed gestational weeks were without neurosensory handicap at 36 months of corrected age. In infants born at 23-24 weeks of gestation, both survival and long-term outcome were less favourable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University Hospitals of Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Finnström
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Otterblad Olausson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sedin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Serenius
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Svenningsen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thiringer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tunell
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wesström
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000209:etiology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013548:Sweden