title: Neurodevelopmental outcomes of premature infants at a tertiary care center in Pakistan.
abstract: The low gestational ages and morbidities of premature neonates in neonatal intensive care units exert a significant impact on neurodevelopmental outcomes. This longitudinal cohort study assessed the neurodevelopmental status of premature neonates after discharge from neonatal intensive care units in resource-limited countries such as Pakistan. Developmental assessment involved the Denver Development Screening Test II. One hundred and ten infants discharged from our neonatal intensive care unit completed follow-up at age 6 months. Overall developmental delay was evident in 32% of infants. Birth weight and gestational age exerted significant impacts on development. The mean gestational age of developmentally normal infants was 34 weeks, whereas that of delayed infants was 30.7 weeks (P < 0.01). The mean birth weight of developmentally normal infants was 2.17 kg vs 1.27 kg in delayed infants (P < 0.01). Neonates who developed complications such as respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, thrombocytopenia, hypoglycemia, hyponatremia, or hypothermia in neonatal intensive care units proved to be delayed at age 6 months (P < 0.05). Prematurity and its associated complications are linked to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.
authors: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. rehan.khan@aku.edu
authors: Muhammad R
authors: MR
authors: Khan
authors: Prem K
authors: PK
authors: Maheshwari
authors: Huma
authors: H
authors: Shamim
authors: Ali F
authors: AF
authors: Saleem
authors: Shakeel
authors: S
authors: Ahmed
authors: Syed R
authors: SR
authors: Ali
authors: Shahnaz H
authors: SH
authors: Ibrahim
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development; D015331:Cohort Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000639:trends; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000639:trends*; D016896:Treatment Outcome