Neurodevelopmental Outcome of Appropriate and Small for Gestational Age Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Prematurity and intrauterine growth restriction are associated with neurodevelopment delay. A prospective cohort study included all 96 very low birth weight infants discharged from our neonatal unit from November 2003 to June 2005. The authors compared 41 appropriate and 55 small for gestational age very low birth weight infants' neurodevelopment at 24 months corrected age. Bayley Scales were similar between both groups at 8, 12, 18, and 24 months corrected age even after adjustment for gestational age and improved from 8 to 24 months corrected age. Small for gestational age infants with and without severe intrauterine growth restriction had similar neurodevelopment outcome. Neurodevelopment delay is frequent in very low birth weight infants with no differences between appropriate and small for gestational age. The authors suggest that Bayley Scales evaluation should be performed in every very low birth weight infant at least at 24 months corrected age to detect those requiring therapeutic stimuli.