Effect of Breastfeeding Duration on Cognitive Development in Infants: 3-Year Follow-up Study

We investigated the association between breastfeeding and cognitive development in infants during their first 3 years. The present study was a part of the Mothers' and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study, which was a multi-center birth cohort project in Korea that began in 2006. A total of 697 infants were tested at age 12, 24, and 36 months using the Korean version of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (K-BSID-II). The use and duration of breastfeeding and formula feeding were measured. The relationship between breastfeeding and the mental development index (MDI) score was analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis. The results indicated a positive correlation between breastfeeding duration and MDI score. After adjusting for covariates, infants who were breastfed for ≥ 9 months had significantly better cognitive development than those who had not been breastfed. These results suggest that the longer duration of breastfeeding improves cognitive development in infants.

Catch-up growth and development of very low birth weight infants / 소아과

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze the results and contributing factors of catch-up growth in very low birth weight infants(VLBWI) at the corrected age of 2 years. In addition, we looked for a relationship between the catch-up growth and the development by the bayley scales of infant development II(BSID II). METHODS: A retrospective analysis by evaluating medical records was done for the 76 VLBWI whose follow-up was possible up to a corrected age of 2 years, out of the 114 who had been treated in the neonatal intensive care unit during the January of 2000 to December of 2001 at Samsung Cheil Hospital. Based on the Standard Korean Infant's Growth Curve, the catch-up growth group was defined over the 10th percentile of weight at 2 years as the corrected age and the failed catch-up growth group was defined under the 10th percentile. We investigated the clinical factors and courses of each group and compared the scores of the BSID II. RESULTS: The catch-up growth group of the VLBWI was 51 infants and the failed catch-up growth group was 25 infants. In comparison with maternal clinical factors, use of antenatal steroids was significantly higher in the catch-up growth group. In comparisn with clinical factors and courses of VLBWI, two clinical factors were significantly different between the two groups: birth weight and intrauterine growth retardation(IUGR). Numbers of delayed development were increased in the failed catch-up growth group but statistically significant differences could not be observed. CONCLUSION: The catch-up growth of the VLBWI was affected by the use of antenatal steroids, birth weight and IUGR. No significant differences regarding neurodevelopmental outcome were observed between the catch-up and failed catch-up growth groups.

Comparative Study between Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II and Korean Infant and Child Developmental Test in Infants Younger than 12 Months / 대한소아신경학회지

PURPOSE: Currently, there are many developmental tests of scale and screening for infants and children. However, it has been questioned about the discriminating power and the correlation among developmental tests of scale and screening. So we comprared the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II(BSID-II) and Korean Infant and Child Developmental Test(KICDT) in terms of correlations and agreement. METHODS: Seventy two infants were studied, who visited the pediatric outpatient clinic at Cheonan Soonchunhyang University Hospital between December 2002 and September 2003. They were classified into three groups, group A of 24 full term infants, group B of 24 preterm infants, and group C of 24 disabled full term infants. We performed both tests to the all infants. RESULTS: The mean scores of mental and psychomotor developmental indices of BSID-II of group A were higher than those of group B and group C, which was statistically significant. Also, the mean scores of personal-social, language and cognitive- adaptive fields of KICDT of group A were much higher than those of group B and group C. The correlation coefficients between BSID-II and KICDT were high in many indices. The kappa coefficient by Cohen between BSID-II and KICDT is 0.45(0.24-0.66). CONCLUSION: There was a reasonable corrrelation between BSID-II and Korean infant and child developmental test in infants younger than 12 months. The kappa coefficient by Cohen between BSID-II and KICDT is not so good in this study. Further study is needed to standardize the items of KICDT.

Growth and Neurodevelopmental Outcome on Very Low Birth Weight Infants During 2 Years

PURPOSE: By rapid development of neonatal intensive care from 1960, we are able to expect the long survival of the very low birth weight infants. But, there were high risk of poor growth, neurodevelopmental delay, deafness, and blindness in very low birth weight infants. So, it is important to follow-up after discharge. We try to compare normal term infants with very low birth weight infants by evaluating growth and neurodevelopmental outcome from living very low birth weight infants to corrected 2 years age. METHODS: This study was performed on 55 very low birth weight infants with corrected age 6 months to 24 months who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Presbyterian Medical Center from August 1991 to December 1993 and 61 normal term infants with age 6 months to 24 months who had been born in Presbyterian Medical Center. We compared very low birth weight infants with normal term infants about growth and neurodevelopmental outcome at corrected age 6, 12, 18, 24 months. Weight, height and head circumference were measured. Developmental testing was performed using the BSID-II(Bayley scales of infant development, II). BSID-II test provide Mental Development Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Development Index(PDI). Motor handicap was graded as mild, moderate, or severe cerebral palsy. Sensorineural impairments were measured. RESULTS: 1) Very low birth weight infants were low in weight, height and head circumference compared with normal term infants to corrected 2 years age. But, most cases were above 10 percentile 2) Very low birth weight infants were in low in BSID-II's MDI(93.5+/-15.8) and PDI(91.3+/-17.9) compared with normal term infants. But, 76% of them were within normal range in MDI, 77% of them in PDI. 3) Seven patients of 55 very low birth weight infants had severe neurodevelopmental handicaps and three patients had severe cerebral palsy. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that very low birth weight infants had significantly lower growth and BSID-II than normal term infants, but majority of very low birth weight infants belong to normal range.