Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 23, 2026
Assessment of the Efficacy of An Osteopathic Treatment in Infants with Biomechanical Impairments to Suckling
Published on: February 5, 2019
Long-term follow-up and outcome of extremely-low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants
1Department of Neonatology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 229899. agarwal@kkh.com.sg
Insights
Extremely-low-birth-weight (ELBW) survivors face developmental challenges, including cognitive delays and neurosensory impairments. However, many achieve normal function and report comparable quality of life in adolescence.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care and developmental pediatrics.
Background:
- Improved obstetric and neonatal care has increased survival rates for extremely-low-birth-weight (ELBW) neonates.
- Decreasing limits of viability necessitate reliable data on long-term morbidity for these high-risk survivors.
- Long-term follow-up is now an integral component of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the current data on the long-term outcomes of ELBW infants.
- To understand the developmental trajectory and quality of life for ELBW survivors.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive Medline search was conducted.
- A review of leading journal articles was performed to gather data on ELBW infant outcomes.
Main Results:
- ELBW survivors often experience cognitive delays (13-37%) and neurosensory impairments like cerebral palsy (7-17%) in early childhood.
- School-aged ELBW individuals show high rates of cognitive impairment, learning disabilities, and behavioral issues.
- Despite challenges, over half of ELBW survivors function normally, with comparable self-reported quality of life in adolescence.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive, systematic approach is essential for managing ELBW infants.
- Assessment should focus on the degree and impact of impairments on daily function and quality of life.
Introduction:
Modern day obstetric and neonatal care has dramatically increased the survival of the extremely-low-birth-weight (ELBW) neonates. As the limits of viability decrease, it is of paramount importance to have reliable data on long-term morbidity. Long-term follow-up of these high-risk survivors is thus becoming an integral part of neonatal intensive care units.
Methods:
Detailed Medline search and review of leading journal articles were done to assess the current data on long-term outcome of ELBW infants.
Results:
The developmental outcome of the ELBW infant is determined by a complex interaction of medical and environmental factors acting on a developmentally vulnerable premature brain. In early childhood, 13% to 37% of ELBW survivors have a significant delay in cognitive function while 7% to 17% have neurosensory impairment viz. cerebral palsy. Advances have been made in measuring functional outcome to assess the impact of ELBW births on long-term quality of life and skills for independent living. Measuring school age outcome is an important landmark in the longitudinal follow-up of ELBW infants and most reports show high rates of cognitive impairment as well as increased incidence of learning disability and school difficulties as well as behavioural problems. The ELBW adolescent and young adult continue to lag behind in academic achievement and cognitive score. However, more than half of the ELBW survivors function within the normal range of variability and their self-reported quality of life in adolescence continues to be comparable to that of their peers.
Conclusion:
In managing ELBW infants, a holistic, systematic approach is needed to assess the degree and impact of impairment on their daily function and issues related to quality of life.
