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Infants with birth weights less than 1,001 g. Survival, growth, and development
Insights
Most infants born under 1,001 grams survived their first year. However, many survivors faced developmental challenges, with mechanical ventilation needs indicating potential handicaps.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Pediatric Development
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants (<1,001 g) face significant survival and developmental challenges.
- Long-term outcomes for ELBW infants born in the early 1980s require continued investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the survival and developmental outcomes of ELBW infants born in 1980.
- To identify factors associated with developmental handicaps in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 56 infants weighing <1,001 g born in 1980.
- Follow-up assessments at 12-16 months for growth and 12-34 months for neurodevelopmental status.
Main Results:
- Survival rates were 54% through the neonatal period and 52% through the first year.
- Among survivors, 44% were below the fifth weight percentile and 32% below the fifth head circumference percentile at 12-16 months.
- At 12-34 months, 72% of first-year survivors were developmentally normal, while 28% exhibited mild to severe handicaps.
- Neonatal mechanical ventilation requirements significantly predicted handicaps.
Conclusions:
- ELBW infants born in 1980 had substantial survival rates but a high incidence of growth and developmental issues.
- Mechanical ventilation emerged as a key predictor of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in this cohort.
Abstract:
Of 56 infants weighing less than 1,001 g who were born in 1980, 30 (54%) survived the neonatal period and 29 (52%) survived the first year. At 12 to 16 months of age, 44% of the measured survivors were below the fifth weight percentile and 32% were below the fifth head circumference percentile for their adjusted ages. Of the first-year survivors, 21 (72%) were developmentally normal, four (14%) were mildly handicapped, and four (14%) were moderately to severely handicapped at 12 to 34 months of age. Handicapped infants differed significantly from normal infants in their neonatal requirements for mechanical ventilation, but did not differ in birth weight, gestational age, route of delivery, Apgar scores, maternal age or marital status, maternal education or income, gender, race, place of birth, or proportions below the tenth percentile in weight or head circumference at birth.
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