title: Premature infants with birth weights of 1500-1999 g exhibit considerable delays in several developmental areas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the prevalence and factors associated with developmental scores and delays in premature infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 premature infants with corrected ages of 18-24 months (actual ages 19.9 ± 2.0 months) and birth weights of 1500-1999 g. Bayley III scales were used to assess developmental scores, percentage of children with developmental scores <85, factors associated with developmental scores and delays in at least one developmental domain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentages and 95% confidence intervals of those children with developmental delays were as follows: cognitive (2.0%; 0.6-7.0%), language (5.0%; 2.2-11.2%), motor (3.0%; 1.0-8.5%), socio-emotional (13.0%; 7.8-20.1%), general adaptive (26.0%; 18.4-35.4%), conceptual (17.0%; 10.9-25.6%), social (46.0%; 36.6-55.7%) and practical (21.0%; 14.2-30.0%). Factors associated with delay in at least one developmental domain were as follows: caesarean delivery, low per capita income and peri-intraventricular haemorrhage. Factors associated with a reduction in developmental scores were as follows: non-white ethnicity, lower social class, caesarean delivery, male gender, peri-intraventricular haemorrhage, mechanical ventilation and length of hospitalisation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Premature infants with birth weights of 1500-1999 g exhibited considerable delays in several developmental areas. In addition to biological factors, environmental factors contributed to the reduced scores and/or developmental delays.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Division, Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: Marina C de Moraes
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Ana Lucia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Goulart
authors.forename: Luciana V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Benjamin I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Kopelman
authors.forename: Amélia M N dos
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002657:Child Development; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D012919:Social Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bayley III; Child; Child development; Developmental delay; Preterm infant