title: Neurodevelopmental follow-up at five years corrected age of extremely low birth weight infants after postnatal replacement of 17β-estradiol and progesterone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants are prone to impaired neurodevelopment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to determine long-term neurodevelopmental outcome in ELBW infants after postnatal 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) replacement.
  
  
  METHODS
  At 5-yr corrected age, ELBW infants were assessed for standardized cognitive and neurological outcome after postnatal randomized E2 and P replacement or placebo administration.
  
  
  METHODS
  The follow-up examination was performed in a neuropediatric ambulatory care center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-one of 71 surviving infants (86%) were available for follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cognitive and neurological outcome was evaluated using the Kaufmann Assessment Battery for Children, the Gross Motor Function Classification Scale, and clinical neurological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were found between the replacement and placebo groups for the Gross Motor Function Classification Scale, presence of paresis, cerebral palsy, spasticity, and ametropia. However, a significant time-response relationship was found with E2 and P replacement. Every day of treatment reduced the risk for cerebral palsy (P=0.03), spasticity (P=0.01), and ametropia (P=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postnatal E2 and P replacement may have potential in improving neurodevelopmental outcome in ELBW infants. Larger trials are needed to test this new hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Perinatal Medicine, Children's Hospital, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freudstrasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany. andreas.trotter@web.de
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trotter
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steinmacher
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kron
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pohlandt
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004958:Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011374:Progesterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol