RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The neurodevelopmental status of infants of birth weight lower than 1000 g born between 1994-1998 at the age of 2 years. METHODS AND RESULTS: Infants of birth weight lower than 1000 g born between January 1994 and December 1998 and discharged from NICU of the Charles University Hospital in Pilsen were followed-up longitudinally. Physical, somatometric, neurologic, ophthalmologic, psychologic (Bayley II Mental Developmental Index) and foniatric assessment was made at 24 months of the corrected age. 143 premature newborns (under 1000 g) were born during this period, 91 survived (36.3%) and were discharged home. 76 children (84%) were evaluated at the age of 2 years. Children were divided into 3 groups: normal neurodevelopmental outcome, mild and major impairment. 80% of children were normal., 9% with mild a 11% with major impairment in the whole group. According to the birth weight the impairment distribution was as follows. Birth weight 500-749 g: normal developmental outcome--71%, mild--18% and major impairment 11%. Birth weight 750-999 g: 83% normal outcome, 4% mild and 13% major impairment. CONCLUSIONS: We determined relatively high proportion (80%) of normal neurodevelopmental status among originally extremely premature children. Major developmental impairment (mainly cerebral palsy) was found in 11% of children. There was no significant outcome differences between two birth weight cohorts.
