title: Follow-up of premature children with high risk for growth and development delay: a multiprofessional assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the activities of a multiprofessional outpatient clinic performed by neonatologist, physiatrist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, audiologist and psychologist, who evaluated the development of premature newborns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty children born at a tertiary-care hospital (São Paulo, Brazil), between April 2006 and April 2007, with birth weight below 1250 g or less than 32 weeks of gestation, were evaluated. The multiprofessional evaluation included assessment of development using the Bayley III scale, at the corrected age of 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean gestation age at birth was 28.8 weeks; mean birth weight was 1055 g. The mean maternal age was 35 years and the mean length of stay of neonates was 46.3 days. Fifteen percent of children presented impaired sensory motor skills, 20% had hearing abnormalities and 10% motor alterations. Bayley III showed alterations in the communication area in 10% of subjects and in the motor area in 10% of individuals. The parents were oriented to stimulate the child or a specific intervention was suggested. The major development delay was observed between 6 and 18 months of age and the development was improved at 24 months of age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most children evaluated had improved growth and development at 24 corrected-age months. Further studies with a larger sample are recommended, as well as the possibility to follow this population group up till the primary school.
authors.affiliation: Maternal and Infant Department, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein - HIAE, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Marcia de
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Maternal and Infant Department, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein - HIAE, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Ana Merzel
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kernkraut
authors.affiliation: Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein - HIAE, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Simone Maria Amadio
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Center, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein - HIAE, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Sonia Teresa Gaidzakian
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Akopian
authors.affiliation: Maternal and Infant Department, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein - HIAE, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Sandra Harumi
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Center, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein - HIAE, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Madaschi
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Center, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein - HIAE, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rueg
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Center, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein - HIAE, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Cristiane Isabela de
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Maternal and Infant Department, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein - HIAE, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Alice D'Agostini
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Deutsch