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[Mental and motor development at 24 months of full-term low birthweight infants]
Sophie Helena Eickmann1, Pedro Israel Cabral Lira, Marilia Carvalho Lima
1Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brasil.
Insights
Low birth weight infants showed significantly lower mental and motor development at 24 months compared to appropriate birth weight peers. Sociodemographic factors and environmental stimulation played a larger role in development than birth weight alone.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Neonatal Research
Context:
- Full-term infants born with low birth weight (<2500g) and appropriate birth weight (3000-3499g) were compared.
- 152 infants were paired 1:1 by sex and age for this developmental study.
- Assessments occurred at 24 months corrected age.
Purpose:
- To compare the 24-month mental and motor development of low birth weight infants versus appropriate birth weight infants.
- To identify the influence of sociodemographic and environmental stimulation factors on infant development.
- To determine the relative contribution of low birth weight versus environmental factors to developmental outcomes.
Summary:
- Infants with low birth weight exhibited significantly lower scores on the Bayley Scale for mental (9.1 points) and motor (10.2 points) development compared to appropriate birth weight infants (p<0.001).
- Multiple linear regression indicated that socioeconomic status and environmental stimulation explained 23% of mental index variation and 21% of motor development variation.
- Low birth weight accounted for only 3% of mental index variation and 5% of motor development variation, suggesting environmental factors are more influential.
Impact:
- Highlights the critical role of socioeconomic conditions and environmental stimulation in mitigating or exacerbating developmental differences in infants.
- Provides evidence that while low birth weight is a factor, environmental interventions can significantly impact developmental trajectories.
- Informs early intervention strategies for infants born with low birth weight, emphasizing the importance of supportive environments.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to compare the development at 24 months of 152 full-term infants, born with low (<2500g) and appropriate birth weight (3000 to 3499g), paired in a proportion of 1:1 by sex and age. Mental and motor development were assessed through the Bayley scale. A variety of sociodemographic and environmental stimulation conditions were also assessed. The infants born with low weight had on average significantly lower mental and motor indexes than those born with appropriate weight (p<0.001), with a difference of 9.1 and 10.2 points, respectively. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that socioeconomic conditions and environmental stimulation explained 11% and 12% of the variation of mental index, and 12% and 9% of motor development, respectively. All together, they explained 23% and 21% of the variation of these indexes. Low birth weight influenced only 3% of the variation of mental index and 5% of motor index.