Transient periventricular echodensities and developmental outcome in preterm infants

Abstract

The outcome of very low–birth-weight infants is reported in relation to neonatal cerebral ultrasound findings. Routine cerebral ultrasound scans were performed in all 147 very low–birth-weight infants admitted to the authors’ neonatal intensive care unit from January 1995 to June 1997. Group 1 consisted of 22 infants without ultrasound abnormalities, group 2 consisted of 32 infants with transient periventricular echodensities, and group 3 consisted of 15 infants with intraventricular hemorrhage. Neurologic status was recorded at follow-up visits at the corrected age of 6 and 12 months, and the infants were evaluated further using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II. More infants in groups 2 and 3 appeared to have significant and mild motor developmental delays than infants in the control group (group 1) at the corrected age of 1 year ( P = 0.001). Furthermore, more infants in group 3 appeared to have significant motor developmental delays than did infants in group 2 at the corrected age of 1 year (15% vs 3%). Infants with transient periventricular echodensities and intraventricular hemorrhage have an increased risk of delayed developmental outcome. Infants with transient periventricular echodensities have a more favorable prognosis than do the infants with intraventricular hemorrhage.