title: Early developmental outcome following surgery for oesophageal atresia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the developmental outcome of infants with oesophageal atresia with or without trachea-oesophageal fistula (OA/TOF) who underwent surgery in early infancy with healthy control infants in New South Wales, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Infants diagnosed with OA/TOF requiring surgical intervention were enrolled prospectively between 1 August 2006 and the 31 December 2008. Healthy control infants were enrolled in the same time period. The children underwent a developmental assessment at 1 year of age (corrected) using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Version III).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 34 infants with OA/TOF that were enrolled, 31 had developmental assessments. The majority (75%) were term infants (≥37 weeks gestation) with a mean birth weight of 2717 g. Fourteen infants (44%) had an associated birth defect and one infant with multiple associated anomalies subsequently died. Developmental assessments were also performed on 62 control infants matched for gestational age. Infants with OA/TOF had a mean score significantly lower on the expressive language subscale (P < 0.05) compared with the control infants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found a lower than expected developmental score for infants following surgery for OA/TOF in the expressive language subscale compared with the healthy control infants. These findings support concerns over the potential impact of OA/TOF and its effects on development. Further studies, including continuing developmental review to determine whether these differences persist and their functional importance, should be performed.
authors.affiliation: Grace Centre for Newborn Care, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia. karen.walker@health.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Halliday
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Badawi
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Andrew Ja
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Holland
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002657:Child Development; D002663:Child Language; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004933:Esophageal Atresia / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014138:Tracheoesophageal Fistula / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome