title: Childhood cognitive development after fetal growth restriction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between prenatal umbilical artery (UA) and internal carotid artery (ICA) Doppler findings and cognitive development at 3 and 6 years in low-birth-weight children.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a study of 209 low-birth-weight (< 10(th) centile) children born after 28 gestational weeks with UA resistance index (RI) measured within 2 weeks before delivery. Children with normal UA- and ICA-RI were defined as small-for-gestational age (SGA) and those with abnormal UA or ICA Doppler findings as having fetal growth restriction (FGR). Cognitive ability at 3 and 6 years' corrected age was assessed using the fourth edition of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (SBIS) and compared between SGA and FGR groups. An SBIS score < 85 was considered to indicate delayed development.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median gestational age at diagnosis of abnormal fetal growth was 36.6 (range, 28-41) weeks. There were 87 (41.6%) children classified as having FGR and 122 (58.4%) as SGA. The mean global SBIS score at 3 years was 109.4 (SD, 22.8) and at 6 years it was 110.5 (SD, 13.9). Overall, 22 (10.5%) children had delayed development at 3 years. Total SBIS scores and individual domain scores did not differ between FGR and SGA groups at 3 or 6 years and similar proportions in each group had delayed development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abnormal prenatal UA and ICA Doppler findings are not associated with lower developmental scores in low-birth-weight children delivered in the third trimester of pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Llurba
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Baschat
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: McCowan
mesh_terms: D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology