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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Neurodevelopmental outcome of the premature infant

Bonnie E Stephens1, Betty R Vohr

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02905, USA. bstephens@wihri.org

Pediatric Clinics of North America
|June 9, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Improved survival for extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants has not reduced disability rates. Long-term neurodevelopmental and behavioral issues persist, even in late preterm infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal medicine
  • Developmental pediatrics
  • Perinatal research

Background:

  • Advances in neonatal intensive care have improved survival rates for preterm infants, particularly those born extremely low birth weight (ELBW) or at the limits of viability.
  • Survival rates for extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants and those born between 22 to 25 weeks have seen dramatic improvements.

Observation:

  • Improved survival rates for preterm infants have not correlated with a proportional decrease in the incidence of disability.
  • Infants born extremely low birth weight (ELBW) and at the limits of viability face ongoing high risks for neurodevelopmental and behavioral morbidities.
  • Adverse outcomes persist into school age and adolescence for ELBW infants and those born late preterm.

Findings:

  • Survival is an insufficient metric for assessing the success of interventions for high-risk preterm infants.
  • There is a growing body of evidence indicating sustained neurodevelopmental and behavioral challenges in survivors.

Implications:

  • Current measures of success in neonatal care need re-evaluation to include long-term functional outcomes.
  • Further research is crucial to understand and mitigate the long-term disabilities associated with preterm birth.
  • Interventions must address not only survival but also the quality of life and developmental trajectory of preterm infants.

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