Neuropsychological development in preschool children born with asymmetrical intrauterine growth restriction and impact of postnatal head growth.
Neuropsychological development and the impact of postnatal head growth were studied in preschool children with asymmetrical intrauterine growth restriction. Examinees born at term with a birth weight below the 10th percentile were matched to the control group according to chronological and gestational age, gender, and maternal education. Fifty children were in each group, with a mean age of 6 years, 4 months. The Touwen neurological examination, the Čuturić developmental test, an imitative hand positions test, and a visual attention test were performed. There were significant differences (P< .03) in motor variables, the developmental quotient, and the imitative hand positions test. Fine motor skills had the most discriminative power. Relative growth of the head in relation to weight gain was positively correlated to neurocognitive outcome. Intrauterine growth-restricted children with a current head circumference ≤10th percentile had poorer outcomes. Conclusively, intrauterine growth restriction has a negative impact on neurocognitive development. Slow postnatal head growth is correlated with a poorer neuropsychological outcome.
General County Hospital, Medical School, University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia. andrea.simic-klaric@po.t-com.hr
Andrea Simić
AS
Klaric
Slavka
S
Galić
Zdravko
Z
Kolundzić
Vlatka Mejaski
VM
Bosnjak
D002508:Cephalometry; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006257:Head / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric