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

ABSTRACT

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.