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Five-year follow-up study of extremely low-birthweight infants
Insights
Extremely low-birthweight (ELBW) children without early handicaps showed some developmental differences at five years. However, ELBW children with no significant impairments at two years generally develop within normal cognitive and socio-emotional ranges.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Extremely low-birthweight (ELBW) infants face potential long-term developmental challenges.
- Early identification of handicaps in ELBW infants is crucial for predicting later outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the risk of intellectual and socio-emotional problems at five years in ELBW children who had no major handicaps at two years.
- To compare the developmental trajectory of ELBW children with a normal birthweight control group.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study comparing ELBW children and normal birthweight controls.
- Developmental assessments at two and five years of age.
- Evaluation of intellectual, socio-emotional, and physical development.
Main Results:
- ELBW children exhibited statistically significant differences compared to controls.
- Language delays, increased activity, and behavioral intensity were noted in ELBW children.
- ELBW children tended to be lighter and shorter, with significantly smaller head circumferences.
Conclusions:
- ELBW children without significant impairments at two years generally follow a normal developmental path.
- While some behavioral and physical differences persist, cognitive and socio-emotional development is likely within the normal range for most ELBW survivors.
- Early absence of major handicaps is a strong predictor of positive long-term outcomes in ELBW infants.
Abstract:
This study investigated whether extremely low-birthweight (ELBW) babies, who at two years had no major handicaps, were at higher risk for intellectual and socio-emotional problems at five years than a control group of children with normal birthweights. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups. The ELBW children were language-delayed, and more active and more intense in their behaviour. There was a tendency for the ELBW children to be lighter and shorter than the controls, but their mean head-circumference was significantly smaller. In general, however, if no serious neurological, neurosensory or cognitive impairment is found among ELBW children at two years, later cognitive and socio-emotional development is likely to be within the normal range.