Abstract
The neurodevelopmental outcome and school performance of 50 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and 33 small for gestational age (SGA) very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants, compared to a control group (41 Term infants) were assessed at 8 years of age. The incidence of major handicaps among AGA and SGA/VLBW infants respectively, was 16% and 6%. No major handicap was found in the control group. The incidence of neurodevelopmental abnormalities (NDA) among AGA's (40%) and SGA's (57.6%) compared with the control group (31.7%) was found to be significantly higher. School failure occurred more frequently among VLBW infants (22.9%) and was related in children with NDA — and more particularly among AGA's — to the presence of language disorders of associated NDA. Evaluation of the consequences of NDA and school problems for later academic and professional achievement now requires further follow-up studies.
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Abbreviations
- AGA:
-
appropriate for gestationl age
- SGA:
-
small for gestational age
- VLBW:
-
very low birth weight
- NDA:
-
neurodevelopmental abnormalities
- GA:
-
gestational age
- CP:
-
cerebral palsy
- RLF:
-
retrolental fibroplasia
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Calame, A., Fawer, C.L., Claeys, V. et al. Neurodevelopmental outcome and school performance of very-low-birth-weight infants at 8 years of age. Eur J Pediatr 145, 461–466 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02429043
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02429043