title: Correlation of brain ultrasonography scans to the neuromotor outcome of very-low-birth-weight infants during the first year of life.
abstract: To evaluate the consistency of the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination scores of very-low-birth-weight infants at 6 and 12 months of age and its correlation to cranial ultrasonography findings, we designed a prospective study between January 2005 and January 2008, in the tertiary Neonatal Unit of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. All infants enrolled had a cranial ultrasonography performed at term. Preterm infants born at <32 weeks gestation with a birth weight <1500 g were eligible for the study. One hundred seventy-four infants were finally enrolled; out of those, 46 (26%) had an optimal score at 6 and 76 (44%) at 12 months of age. Mean global scores were 61 and 69 at 6 and 12 months, respectively. The Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination score significantly increased between 6 and 12 months, equally in all ultrasonography groups. The presence of cystic periventricular leukomalacia was associated to lower scores and neurologic impairment.
authors.affiliation: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Greece.
authors.forename: Paraskevi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karagianni
authors.affiliation: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Greece dimitrisrallis@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rallis
authors.affiliation: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kyriakidou
authors.affiliation: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Greece.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsakalidis
authors.affiliation: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Greece.
authors.forename: Paraskevi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pratsiou
authors.affiliation: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nikolaidis
mesh_terms: D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004453:Echoencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D007969:Leukomalacia, Periventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: neonates; neurodevelopment; prematurity; ultrasonography