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Disabilities among preemies

[unknown] Kilbride HW, Daily DK. Journal of Perinatology. 1998;18(2):102-6.

[unknown] Lorenz JM, et al. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 1998;152:425-35.

Although more extremely premature neonates are surviving, the prevalence of major neurodevelopmental disabilities has not changed over time, according to two studies.

In the first study, researchers compared 405 infants weighing 450 grams to 800 grams (about 1 pound to 1 pound, 12 ounces) born between 1983 and 1989 at two Kansas City, Mo., hospitals. When the children were 5 years old, the authors assessed their cognitive, psychomotor and language performance and evaluated them for cerebral palsy (CP) and visual and hearing impairments.

Forty-seven percent of infants born between 1983 and 1985 with a gestational age 24 weeks survived compared to 60 percent born in the 1986 to 1989 time period. There was no change in the percentage of infants suffering long-term disabilities.

In the second study, researchers used Medline to analyze 42 studies from 1970 to 1997 on mortality and disability in infants born at or before 26 weeks' gestation (extremely immature) or with a birth weight of 800 grams or less (extremely small).