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Functional impairments at school age of preterm born children with late-onset sepsis

Meike van der Ree1, Jozien C Tanis, Koenraad N J A Van Braeckel

  • 1Division of Neonatology, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Early Human Development
|July 15, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Preterm infants with late-onset sepsis (LOS) experience significant motor and cognitive impairments at school age. These children show lower IQ, impaired memory, and attention compared to healthy peers.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Pediatric Neurology

Background:

  • Late-onset sepsis (LOS) is a frequent complication in very low birth weight infants, affecting approximately 25% of this vulnerable population.
  • Preterm birth significantly increases the risk of LOS, necessitating a deeper understanding of its long-term consequences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the school-age motor, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes of preterm children who experienced late-onset sepsis.
  • To compare these outcomes with those of matched control children without sepsis.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective case-control study was conducted with preterm infants (gestational age < 32 weeks and/or birth weight < 1500g) admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between 2000-2001.
  • Participants included infants with culture-proven late-onset sepsis and matched controls based on gestational age.
  • Assessments at school age (6-9 years) included motor skills, intelligence, visual perception, visuomotor integration, verbal memory, attention, executive functioning, and behavior.

Main Results:

  • Children with a history of LOS exhibited a higher prevalence of borderline or abnormal motor outcomes (68%), particularly in fine motor skills.
  • The average IQ of children with LOS was 89, significantly lower than the 98 observed in controls.
  • Specific cognitive deficits included impaired verbal memory and attention in the LOS group compared to controls.

Conclusions:

  • A majority of preterm children with a history of late-onset sepsis experience motor deficits by school age.
  • These children demonstrate considerably lower IQ scores and specific impairments in memory and attention compared to their non-septic peers.
  • The long-term neurodevelopmental impact of late-onset sepsis in preterm infants is more severe than previously recognized.
Abstract

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