title: Functional impairments at school age of preterm born children with late-onset sepsis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Late-onset sepsis is a relatively common complication particularly of preterm birth that affects approximately a quarter of very low birth weight infants.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to determine the motor, cognitive, and behavioural outcome at school age of preterm children with late-onset sepsis compared to matched controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective case-control study that included preterm infants (gestational age<32weeks and/or birth weight<1500g) admitted to our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in 2000-2001 with a culture-proven late-onset sepsis, and controls matched for gestational age.
  
  
  METHODS
  At school age we assessed motor skills, intelligence, visual perception, visuomotor integration, verbal memory, attention, executive functioning, and behaviour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 6-9years, 21 of 32 children with late-onset sepsis (68%) had borderline or abnormal motor outcome with most problems in fine motor skills. Their total IQ was 89 compared to 98 in controls. In addition, verbal memory and attention were affected compared to controls (0.61 standard deviations (SD), 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04-1.17, p=0.033 and 0.94 SD, 95% CI 0.32-1.62, p=0.011, respectively). Multiple episodes of sepsis and gram-negative sepsis were risk factors for worse cognitive outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At school age, a majority of preterm children with late-onset sepsis had motor problems. Their IQ was considerably lower than matched controls, and memory and attention were specifically impaired. Outcome at school age of preterm children with late-onset sepsis was worse than previously thought.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Meike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Ree
authors.forename: Jozien C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tanis
authors.forename: Koenraad N J A
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Van Braeckel
authors.forename: Arend F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Bos
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roze
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000523:psychology; D007360:Intelligence; D008568:Memory; D009048:Motor Skills; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications*; D014796:Visual Perception