Visual, motor and perceptual abilities at school age in children with isolated mild antenatal ventricular dilatation.
BACKGROUND
The detection of prenatal ventriculomegaly raises anxiety about possible neurological sequelae. A few studies have investigated possible neurodevelopmental sequelae in the first years after birth but no systematic assessment has been performed at school age.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess minor neurological signs, perceptual and visual function in a cohort of children with isolated mild antenatal ventricular dilatation examined at school age.


METHODS
Seventeen children with evidence of mild antenatal ventriculomegaly in the second and third trimester of pregnancy were included in the study.


METHODS
Children were assessed at school age (range 5 years 3 months-11 years, 11 months) using a structured neurological examination for minor neurological signs and age specific tests assessing perceptual motor abilities (Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration; Movement Assessment Battery for Children).


RESULTS
Only one of the 17 children had abnormal results. The remaining 16 had normal results on all the tests, irrespective of the magnitude and the symmetry of the dilatation or of its evolution on neonatal scan.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that children who had mild isolated prenatal ventricular dilatation are unlikely to develop even minor motor or perceptual difficulties at school age.
Colitto
Francesca
F
Pediatric Neurology Unit, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
Bianco
Flaviana
F
Luciano
Rita
R
Donvito
Valeria
V
Baranello
Giovanni
G
Brogna
Claudia
C
Masini
Lucia
L
Ciotti
Stefano
S
Mercuri
Eugenio
E
D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006801:Humans; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D014792:Visual Acuity