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Extremely low birthweight infants at 3 years: a developmental profile
J R Bowen1, D R Starte, J D Arnold
1Department of Neonatology, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
|August 1, 1993
Summary
Most extremely low birthweight survivors show normal development by age 3. However, neurologically normal children often have weaker eye-hand coordination, suggesting tailored preschool programs for these extremely low birthweight (ELBW) survivors are beneficial.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Extremely low birthweight (ELBW) survivors face significant neurodevelopmental challenges.
- Long-term outcomes and specific developmental profiles of ELBW infants require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document the neurodevelopmental outcome at 3 years in ELBW survivors.
- To analyze the developmental profile of neurologically normal ELBW children.
Main Methods:
- Follow-up study of 52 ELBW survivors at 3 years of age.
- Assessment using Griffiths Scales to evaluate neurodevelopmental impairment and general quotient (GQ).
- Identification of risk factors associated with severe neurodevelopmental impairment.
Main Results:
- 67% of ELBW survivors had normal development (GQ ≥ 85) at 3 years.
- Severe impairment (cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness, GQ < 70) occurred in 12% of survivors.
- Risk factors for severe impairment included retinopathy of prematurity, postnatal steroid treatment, intraventricular hemorrhage, and supplemental oxygen at term.
- Neurologically normal survivors demonstrated relative strengths in hearing and speech, with weaknesses in eye-hand coordination.
Conclusions:
- A majority of ELBW survivors achieve normal development by age 3.
- Specific developmental patterns, such as impaired eye-hand coordination in normal survivors, necessitate targeted early intervention.
- Early identification of these developmental profiles can inform the design of effective preschool programs for ELBW children.