title: School Performance and Neurodevelopment of Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants: First Report From Turkey.
abstract: Very low birth weight preterm infants are under significant risk of neurologic, developmental, and somatic problems. In this study, 90 infants born with a birth weight <1500 g and/or with a gestational age <32 weeks were evaluated after the first year of elementary school to assess neurodevelopment. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) test, Pediatric Symptom Checklist, and Parent Evaluation of Developmental Status were performed. Mental retardation, cerebral palsy, blindness, epilepsy, and posthemorrhagic hydrocephaly incidences were 14%, 7%, 2%, 5%, and 2%, respectively. The WISC-R score of 32 patients (35.5%) were below 85. Perinatal asphyxia, abnormal neurologic examination, and delayed or impaired speech correlated significantly with low WISC-R scores. Education and income of the father had positive impact on WISC-R scores (P = .042 and P = .026). Parents' concern and presence of cognitive problems were correlated (P = .026). Environmental factors, as well as the prevention of morbidity, affected school performance positively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Bakırköy Gynecology & Obstetrics and Children's Education Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özden
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Koç
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Bakırköy Gynecology & Obstetrics and Children's Education Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sultan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kavuncuoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Bakırköy Gynecology & Obstetrics and Children's Education Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Ankara University Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey mgramoglu@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mehmet G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ramoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Bakırköy Gynecology & Obstetrics and Children's Education Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Esin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aldemir
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Psychology, Bakırköy Gynecology & Obstetrics and Children's Education Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşegül
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aktalay
authors.affiliation: Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Unit, Department of Neonatology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women Health and Education Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zeynep
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Eras
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000523:psychology*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000523:psychology*; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: neurodevelopmental prognosis; prematurity; school performance; very low birth weight