[Normal neonatal cerebral ultrasonography in preterm infants - Is it possible to calm down the parents?]

OBJECTIVE: To verify the predictive values of neonatal cerebral ultrasonography for motor and cognitive development of very low birth weight preterm babies after twelve months correct age. METHODS: The population studied was a cohort of preterm babies with birth weight less than 1,500g, who had been admitted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Instituto Fernandes Figueira, and were followed to 12-30 months corrected age for prematurity. A cerebral ultrasonography was performed before discharge. The results were classified as normal and abnormal (parenchymal hemorrhage, porencephaly, periventricular leucomalacia, ventricular dilatation). The babies were followed in the Follow-up Clinic and between 12-30 months correct age they underwent a neurological assessment with observation of the acquisition of motor milestones and submitted to Bayley Scales of Development. RESULTS: We studied 83 babies. Cerebral ultrasonography was normal in 68 babies (81.9%) and abnormal in 15 (18.8%). With a mean age of 21 months, 63 children (75.9%) had normal motor development and 20 (24.0%) had motor abnormalities. The cognitive development was normal in 68 children (81.9%). The negative predictive value of the cerebral ultrasonography for motor development was 85.3%, and for cognitive development, 86.8%. The positive predictive value of the cerebral ultrasonography for motor development was 66.7% and for cognitive development, 42.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The negative predictive values were greater than the positive predictive values in both areas of development. The probability for children with normal neonatal ultrasonography to have normal motor and cognitive development is greater than 85%.