Impact of fetal growth restriction on neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years for extremely preterm infants: a single institution study.

AIM: We evaluated the impact of fetal growth restriction on neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years corrected age for infants born before 27 weeks gestational age. METHOD: Data on infants born before 27 weeks gestational age between 1999 and 2008 (n=463), admitted to a tertiary neonatal unit in Paris, were used to compare neurological outcomes at 2 years for infants with birthweight lower than the 10th centile and birthweight of at least the 10th centile, using intrauterine reference curves. Outcomes were cerebral palsy (CP) and the Brunet-Lézine assessment of cognitive development, which provides age-corrected overall and domain-specific (global and fine motor skills, language and social interaction) developmental quotients. Models were adjusted for perinatal and social factors. RESULTS: Seventy-two percent of infants were discharged alive. Eighty-three percent (n=268) were evaluated at 2 years. Six percent had CP. Fetal growth restriction was not associated with the risk of CP. After adjustment, children with a birthweight lower than the 10th centile had a global developmental quotient 4.7 points lower than those with birthweight of at least the 10th centile (p<0.001); differences were greatest for fine motor and social skills (-4.7, p=0.053 and -7.3, p<0.001 respectively). INTERPRETATION: In extremely preterm children, fetal growth restriction was associated with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years, but not with CP.

Unbound bilirubin does not increase during ibuprofen treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether ibuprofen displaces bilirubin from albumin in preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 34 preterm neonates (<32 weeks gestation) treated by ibuprofen (10-5-5 mg/kg) were included in this prospective open-label study. Total bilirubin (TB), unbound bilirubin (UB), and ibuprofen concentrations were measured before, 1 hour, and 6 hours after the first dose; before and 1 hour after the second dose; and 72 hours after the beginning of treatment. The infants were screened by auditory brainstem responses and by neurologic examination at term. RESULTS: At baseline, TB, UB, apparent binding affinity of albumin (Ka), and albumin concentrations were 6.0±1.6 mg/dL, 1.9±2.2 µg/dL, 14.1±5.8 L·µmol(-1), and 28.7±2.3 g/L, respectively. Ibuprofen treatment had no effect on TB, UB, or Ka values. No correlation between UB or Ka and ibuprofen concentrations was found. No neurologic symptoms or significant modifications of auditory brainstem responses were observed at term. CONCLUSION: Ibuprofen (10-5-5 mg/kg) did not displace bilirubin in preterm infants with a baseline TB concentration <8.8 mg/dL.