School Entry Age Outcomes for Infants with Birth Weight ≤800 Grams

• Published in: The Journal of pediatrics 2010-12, Vol.157 (6), p.989-994.e1
• Main Authors: Synnes, Anne R., MDCM, FRCPC, MHSc, Anson, Shelagh, MD, FRCPC, Arkesteijn, Astrid, MD, Butt, Arsalan, MSc, Grunau, Ruth E., PhD, Rogers, Marilyn, BSR, PT/OT, Whitfield, Michael F., MD, FRCPC
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age Factors; Biological and medical sciences; Developmental Disabilities - epidemiology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; General aspects; Humans; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight; Infant, Newborn; Male; Medical sciences; Pediatrics; Survival Rate
• ISSN: 0022-3476; 1097-6833
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2010.06.016

Objective To evaluate the mortality and long-term morbidity rates of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Study design This was a longitudinal cohort study of all admissions born between 1983 and 2003 with birth weight ≤ 800 g at a single tertiary NICU. Trends in survival and neurodevelopmental outcome rates at school entry in four 5-year epochs were analyzed. Results Of 917 admissions, 552 survived to NICU discharge, with significantly increasing survival rates from 46% in epoch 1 to 71% in epoch 4 ( P < .0001). Although the overall impairment rate of 30% did not change, the pattern of impairments did. Cognitive ( P = .017) and hearing ( P = .014) impairment rates increased. Visual impairment rates decreased ( P = .042), with a trend toward decreasing cerebral palsy from 20% to 12% ( P = .061). Conclusions Improved survival of low birth weight preterm infants has been associated with different types of neurodevelopmental impairments, including increased cognitive impairment rates.