989 OUTCOME OF VERY-LOW-BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS

Abstract

A study was undertaken to determine the incidence of subsequent handicaps in children who were of very-low-birth weight. From 1968 through 1976, 59 infants with birth weights of 1000 grams or less, and less than 72 hours old upon admission, were discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care Center at the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center. Forty-three children, thirty-two girls, and eleven boys, were seen in follow-up for psychological testing. Their mean birth weight was 912 grams, and mean gestational age was 28.6 weeks. Seven children were small for gestational age (SGA), 36 were appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Their mean age was 3.7 years (range 6 months to 9 years). Six children (14%) have cerebral palsy, two seizure disorders, one has hydrocephalus, and one has impaired vision due to retrolental fibroplasia. Psychological testing was incomplete in two children, one has cerebral palsy and developmental delay, the other appears normal. The mean intelligence quotient for 41 children is 92.1. Thirty-two (78%) have scores greater than 80. Six (14.6%) have quotients between 70 and 80, and three (7.3%) are mentally retarded with intelligence quotients of less than 70. The mean intelligence quotient of the 7 children who were SGA is 97.1; of these, one child has cerebral palsy. We believe these data reflect the improving prognosis of infants with very-low-birth weight.