title: The neurodevelopmental abilities of very-low-birthweight children in Trinidad, West Indies.
abstract: Neurodevelopmental abilities of 33 very-low-birthweight (VLBW) Trinidadian children and randomly selected matched pairs of classmates who were of normal birth weight were tested in 1998 at ages 68-88 months, using the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities. The 1 min Apgar score was significantly lower in the VLBW children, 6.5 (SD 1.0) versus 7.7 (SD 1.27), P<or=0.001. Mean scores on the McCarthy Scales for study and control children were: (Table cannot be represented.) These differences may reflect a delay in the neurodevelopment of these children. However, the effect of child-rearing practices and the inappropriateness of the test for the population cannot be ruled out.
authors.affiliation: Child Health Unit, Department of Clinical Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad, West Indies.
authors.forename: Zulaika
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Jasmine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramcharan
mesh_terms: D001034:Apgar Score; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development*; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010465:Perception; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago