Very-low-birthweight infants at seven years: an assessment of the health and neurodevelopmental risk conveyed by chronic lung disease.

To determine whether history of chronic lung disease (CLD) in children born at very low birthweight (VLBW) confers additional risk for impaired health, growth, and neurodevelopment, 17 VLBW children born in 1984 who had CLD (requiring supplemental oxygen more than 30 days after birth) in infancy and 28 VLBW children who did not have CLD were assessed at age 7 years. Assessments included a medical history, standard physical and neurological examinations, pulmonary-function tests, and tests of neuropsychological and psychoeducational functioning. Health status did not differ between the groups. In contrast, children with CLD did not perform as well in neuropsychological and psychoeducational assessments. Although CLD confers little added risk to health, it seems to add significantly to risks for poor school performance that are known to be associated with very low birthweight.