Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health · 1993 · 12 citations · 11 references
Public HealthChild HealthPediatricsChild DevelopmentDevelopmental PediatricsInfant HealthDevelopmental DisabilitiesDevelopmental DisordersInfant Neurological DevelopmentNeonatal DevelopmentNeurodevelopmental AssessmentNeurodevelopmental DisordersDisability Severity GradingInfant NeurodevelopmentInfant Neurodevelopmental AssessmentNeonatal NeurodevelopmentNeurodevelopmental FunctionNeurodevelopmental MilestonesNeurodevelopmental Outcome AssessmentPediatric Neurological Assessment
As very low birthweight (VLBW) infants are at a high risk of developmental handicap, it is important to establish predictors of long-term adverse outcome at an early age so that early intervention can be instituted. Longitudinal neurodevelopmental assessments were performed in 107 VLBW infants at 1, 4, 8 and 12 months corrected age. Eighteen were diagnosed as 'dystonic' at 4 months of age. This study compared the outcomes at 4 and 6 years for 15 of the 18 dystonic with 75 of the 89 non-dystonic VLBW infants, respectively. At 9 years of age, nine dystonic and 54 non-dystonic infants were assessed on the Rutter Behaviour Questionnaire. Dystonic children had a lower mean General Cognitive Index (GCI; P = 0.001) and a higher incidence of disability as measured by the Burns Neuro-Sensori-Motor Developmental Assessment Scale (P = 0.0005) and Kitchen disability grading (P = 0.001). Even if the minor neurological aberrations of the premature dystonia syndrome in VLBW infants abate by one year of life, these infants still constitute a high-risk group for subsequent neurodevelopmental disability and therefore require close observation and probably early intervention.
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Changing outcome over 13 years of very low birthweight infants.
W. H. Kitchen, Monique M. Ryan, Anne Rickards et al. · PubMed · 1982 · 55 citations