[Good prognosis for very low birth weight infants]

A population-based multicentre study, comprising all very low birthweight (VLBW; < or = 1,500 g) infants born alive in the south-east region of Sweden during a 15-month period, was performed in the late 1980s. Among the VLBW infants there were 107 lifebirths (a rate of 0.72%), 86 (80.4%) neonatal survivors and no late deaths. Twenty (18.4%) had intracranial complications, two (2.3%) retinopathy of prematurity, grade 3, and six (5.6%) bronchopulmonary dysplasia. At follow-up at 18 months of uncorrected age, the VLBW infants were still lighter in weight and of shorter stature than control group infants. Of the five (5.8%) of the surviving VLBW infants who had significant neurological disorder at 18 months of age, all had weighed less than 800 g at birth, and had manifested neurological symptoms at 6 months of age. The hospitalisation rate during the first 18 months of life was greater in the VLBW than the control group.