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[Psychomotor development of children at risk with special reference to prenatal, intrapartum and postnatal hypoxia]
H T Abel1, C Korb, K Fritzsche
1Frühgeborenenzentrum, Medizinischen Akademie Magdeburg.
Insights
The erythrocytic density test (EDT) can indicate increased risk for psychomotor disabilities in newborns. However, EDT alone is not recommended for predicting individual child prognosis due to limited diagnostic value.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Developmental pediatrics
- Clinical diagnostics
Background:
- High-risk newborns require careful monitoring for developmental outcomes.
- Assessing neonatal hypoxia is crucial for predicting long-term health.
- The erythrocytic density test (EDT) has been proposed as a diagnostic tool for hypoxia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the psychomotor development of high-risk newborns.
- To assess the diagnostic value of the erythrocytic density test (EDT) in identifying hypoxia.
- To determine the correlation between EDT values and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study design following high-risk newborns.
- Utilized the erythrocytic density test (EDT) to assess hypoxia.
- Monitored psychomotor development up to two years of age.
Main Results:
- EDT values declined with age and were independent of gestational age/birthweight at initial testing.
- No significant direct correlation found between red blood cell levels and child development.
- A positive EDT value correlated with an increased probability of psychomotor disabilities.
- EDT demonstrated best diagnostic performance for intrapartum and postnatal hypoxia (80.0% sensitivity, 38.0% specificity).
Conclusions:
- The erythrocytic density test (EDT) shows potential in identifying newborns at risk for psychomotor disabilities.
- EDT's diagnostic value is most pronounced for intrapartum and postnatal hypoxia.
- EDT alone is insufficient for predicting the individual prognosis of children.
Abstract:
In a prospective study the psychomotor development of an unselected collective of high risk newborn infants up to the end of the second year of life was examined. The proof of hypoxia was performed with the erythrocytic density test (EDT). The value of EDT showed a decline with the age of life, and it was independent of gestational age or of birthweight only at the first point of determination (cord blood, first or second day of life). Significant connections between the level of light red blood cells and the children's development could not be demonstrated, although the probability to develop psychomotor disabilities increased in the newborn with a positive value of EDT. The diagnostic value of EDT showed the best results for intrapartum and postnatal hypoxia. The highest specificity was calculated with 38.0%, if the sensitivity is 80.0%. In conclusion of these results it's not to be recommended to use the EDT alone for the prediction of individual prognosis of children.