OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between transiently abnormal neurologic findings in preterm infants and subsequent cognitive outcome at 4 years of age. DESIGN: Prospective 4-year follow-up. SETTING: Regional perinatal center in Syracuse, NY. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred thirty-one of 135 consecutively born infants of no more than 32 weeks of gestational age; 98% followed up from birth to 4 years of age. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Based on neuromotor evaluations performed at 6 and 15 months of age, two groups of infants were identified. One group had abnormal neurologic findings at 6 months of age that had resolved by 15 months of age (transiently abnormal group). The other group had normal neuromotor findings at both 6 and 15 months of age (normal group). The transiently abnormal group had significantly poorer scores on the Bayley Mental scale at 6 months of age (90 +/- 15 vs 108 +/- 10; P < .001), 15 months (91 +/- 21 vs 105 +/- 12; P < .001), and 24 months (91 +/- 19 vs 101 +/- 17; P < .001). However, at 4 years of age, cognitive performance on the McCarthy Scales was similar for the transiently abnormal and normal groups (General Cognitive index, 93 +/- 13 and 95 +/- 14, respectively). The incidence of poor cognitive outcome (Cognitive index < 84) decreased from 39% at 2 years of age to 18% at 4 years of age in the group with a history of transient neurologic abnormalities but remained unchanged (16% to 18%) in the normal group. CONCLUSION: Early neurologic abnormalities that are transient did not predict cognitive delays at 4 years of age in preterm infants.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between transiently abnormal neurologic findings in preterm infants and subsequent cognitive outcome at 4 years of age. DESIGN: Prospective 4-year follow-up. SETTING: Regional perinatal center in Syracuse, NY. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred thirty-one of 135 consecutively born infants of no more than 32 weeks of gestational age; 98% followed up from birth to 4 years of age. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Based on neuromotor evaluations performed at 6 and 15 months of age, two groups of infants were identified. One group had abnormal neurologic findings at 6 months of age that had resolved by 15 months of age (transiently abnormal group). The other group had normal neuromotor findings at both 6 and 15 months of age (normal group). The transiently abnormal group had significantly poorer scores on the Bayley Mental scale at 6 months of age (90 +/- 15 vs 108 +/- 10; P < .001), 15 months (91 +/- 21 vs 105 +/- 12; P < .001), and 24 months (91 +/- 19 vs 101 +/- 17; P < .001). However, at 4 years of age, cognitive performance on the McCarthy Scales was similar for the transiently abnormal and normal groups (General Cognitive index, 93 +/- 13 and 95 +/- 14, respectively). The incidence of poor cognitive outcome (Cognitive index < 84) decreased from 39% at 2 years of age to 18% at 4 years of age in the group with a history of transient neurologic abnormalities but remained unchanged (16% to 18%) in the normal group. CONCLUSION: Early neurologic abnormalities that are transient did not predict cognitive delays at 4 years of age in preterm infants.
Authors: Heidi M Harmon; H Gerry Taylor; Nori Minich; Deanne Wilson-Costello; Maureen Hack Journal: Dev Med Child Neurol Date: 2015-05-26 Impact factor: 5.449
Authors: M J K de Kleine; A L den Ouden; L A A Kollée; M W G Nijhuis-van der Sanden; M Sondaar; B J M van Kessel-Feddema; S Knuijt; A L van Baar; A Ilsen; R Breur-Pieterse; J M Briët; R Brand; S P Verloove-Vanhorick Journal: Arch Dis Child Date: 2003-10 Impact factor: 3.791