Mid- and long-term outcome of 166 premature infants weighing less than 1,000 g at birth, all small for gestational age.
This longitudinal study reported the mid- and long-term neurodevelopmental outcome of 166 premature infants born with an extremely low birth weight (<1,000 g), all small for gestational age (<10th percentile birth weight for gestational age). Nine girls were lost to follow-up before 3 years of age, and 6 children were excluded a posteriori because of specific conditions diagnosed in the 1st year of life (severe abnormalities in 5). Of the remaining 151 children, 2% had cerebral palsy, 15% had lesser motor disturbances (reduced to 2% after psychomotor training), 8% had early severe developmental delays, and added mild and moderate delays and increasing cognitive gaps amounted to 28% in the 14th year. Visual deficits increased with age up to 63% of the older children. Seven children had deafness and 13 had hearing losses after otitis media. Language delays were observed at some stage in 31% of cases, as well as behavioral disturbances in 42% (severe problems in 12%). At last evaluation, 34% of the children were normal (12% of the older ones), 51% had minor deficiencies, 18% had moderate and 3% had major disabilities. Children entered the first grade in the 7th year in only 84% of cases, which dropped to 63% at proper level in the second grade; 47% entered high school at the proper age, 7/15 obtained the 'baccalauréat' in the 19th/20th year. The school performance was heavily dependent on the socioeconomic and cultural level of the family.
Monset-Couchard
M
M
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, CHU Cochin, AP-HP-Université Paris V René Descartes, France.
de Bethmann
O
O
Kastler
B
B
D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D009420:Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome