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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Motor and cognitive outcomes of neonates with low birth weight in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Graciane Radaelli1, Eduardo Leal-Conceição1, Felipe Kalil Neto1
1Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto do Cérebro do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre RS, Brazil.
Insights
Low birth weight (LBW) in newborns is linked to significant long-term deficits in motor and cognitive development. Preterm birth further increases the risk of these neurodevelopmental impairments.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal outcomes
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Global child health
Background:
- Limited data exists on preterm newborn outcomes in South America.
- Low birth weight (LBW) and prematurity significantly impact neurodevelopment.
- Research is needed in diverse, resource-limited populations.
Approach:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to March 2021.
- Included studies focused on children born and evaluated in Brazil.
- Risk of bias analysis adapted from STROBE guidelines.
Key Points:
- 25 articles underwent qualitative synthesis; 5 were included in quantitative meta-analysis.
- Meta-analysis revealed LBW infants had lower motor development scores (SMD: -1.15; 95% CI: -1.56 to -0.73).
- LBW infants also showed lower cognitive development scores (SMD: -0.71; 95% CI: -0.99 to -0.44).
Conclusions:
- Impaired motor and cognitive functions are significant long-term outcomes of LBW.
- Lower gestational age at birth correlates with higher risk of neurodevelopmental impairment.
- Study protocol registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019112403).
Background:
Data on the outcomes of preterm newborns in South American countries are scarce. Given the great effect of low birth weight (LBW) and/or prematurity on children's neurodevelopment, it is extremely necessary to conduct studies on these phenomena in greater depth in more heterogeneous populations such as those ones from countries with limited resources.
Methods:
We conducted a comprehensive literature search on databases including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for articles published in Portuguese and English up to March 2021 involving children born and evaluated in Brazil. The analysis of the risk of bias was adapted from the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement and used to evaluate the methodology of the included studies.
Results:
From the eligible trials, 25 articles were selected for qualitative synthesis, and 5 of those, for quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis). The meta-analyses showed that children born with LBW presented lower scores on motor development when compared with controls (standardized mean difference: -1.15; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: -1.56--0.73]; I2: 80%) and also scored lower in terms of cognitive development (standardized mean difference: -0.71; 95% CI: -0.99--0.44; I2: 67%).
Conclusion:
The results of the present study reinforce that impaired motor and cognitive functions can be a significant long-term outcome of LBW. The lower the gestational age at delivery, the higher the risk of impairment in those domains. The study protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database under number CRD42019112403.
