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Follow-up of very low birthweight babies to adolescence

S Saigal1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. saigal@fhs.mcmaster.ca

Seminars in Neonatology : SN
|June 22, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Infants born very low birthweight (VLBW) show poorer school-age outcomes and behavioral issues in adolescence compared to peers. Early identification and interventions are crucial for these vulnerable children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Emerging reports detail school-age outcomes and adolescent behavioral difficulties in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants.
  • VLBW survivors consistently demonstrate poorer performance compared to same-age controls, with cognitive and achievement scores 8-13 points lower.
  • Even VLBW children without neurological impairments exhibit significantly lower cognitive and achievement scores.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review school-age outcomes and adolescent behavioral difficulties in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants.
  • To highlight the persistent challenges faced by VLBW and extremely low birthweight (ELBW) adolescents.
  • To advocate for methodologically rigorous studies on the impact of medical innovations and for targeted interventions.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on school-age outcomes and adolescent behavioral difficulties in VLBW and ELBW populations.
  • Comparison of performance measures between VLBW/ELBW cohorts and their normal birthweight peers.
  • Analysis of academic achievement, remedial assistance rates, and grade failure.

Main Results:

  • VLBW adolescents exhibit significantly poorer performance on cognitive and achievement measures compared to controls.
  • Extremely low birthweight (ELBW) adolescents fare worse, particularly in mathematics.
  • A substantial proportion of VLBW (15-20%) and ELBW (30-50%) adolescents require remedial assistance or have failed a grade.
  • Behavioral problems remain significantly greater in the VLBW cohort during adolescence.

Conclusions:

  • VLBW and ELBW infants face significant, lasting psychoeducational and behavioral challenges into adolescence.
  • Technological advancements in neonatal care require evaluation for their impact on long-term outcomes.
  • Future research should focus on early identification and targeted interventions for vulnerable infants to mitigate these difficulties.

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