OUTCOME OF INFANTS BORN AT 24-26 WEEKS GESTATION .2. NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME

Objective: To assess the neurodevelopmental outcome of infants born at 24-26 weeks' gestation. Methods: One hundred thirty-eight nonanomalou s infants were born at our hospital after pregnancies of 24-26 weeks' gestation between 1990 and 1994. Ninety-four infants survived to disch arge and 86 were followed in al nursery follow-up program for outcome. Associations between gestational age and neurodevelopmental outcome a nd risk factors and outcome were analyzed. Mean age at follow-up was 3 2 months. Results: The frequency of cerebral palsy did not differ sign ificantly in the three groups (11, 20, and 11% at 24, 25, and 26 weeks , respectively). The incidence of normal cognitive outcome was associa ted significantly with gestational age at birth (28, 47, and 71% norma l at 24, 25, and 26 weeks, respectively). Poor neurologic outcome was associated with the medical risk factor of intracranial hemorrhage gra de 3 or 4 or periventricular leukomalacia. Poor cognitive outcome was correlated with both medical and social risk factors; however, there w as an association between poor cognitive outcome and lower gestational age (P < .05), regardless of the relationships of any other risk fact ors to cognitive outcome. Conclusion: Although the incidence of cerebr al palsy was low in these three groups, the high percentage of infants born at 24 and 25 weeks' gestation with cognitive deficits is concern ing. (C) 1997 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologis ts.