ANTENATAL PHENOBARBITAL THERAPY AND NEONATAL OUTCOME .2. NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME AT 36 MONTHS

Objective. To evaluate the effect of antenatal phenobarbital (PB) ther apy on neurodevelopmental outcome at 36 months. Design. Prospective, r andomized, controlled trial. Setting. Single-institution study. Subjec t and Interventions. Children born to women who participated in the st udy evaluating the effect of antenatal phenobarbital (PB) on neonatal intracranial hemorrhage were prospectively followed to 3 years of age. Outcome Measures. Physical growth, neurologic examinations, and devel opmental testing (McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities). Comparison s between groups were made on all children and those born to multiple gestations. Results. Forty-one children born to women who received 10 mg/kg PB before delivery and 55 children in the control group were eva luated. Three children, ail in the control group, had growth parameter s (height, weight, and head circumference) below the fifth percentile. The McCarthy General Cognitive Index (standard, 100 +/- 16) was 93 +/ - 20 in the PB group and 85 +/- 18 in the control group. The subscores tended to be higher in the PB group than in the control group, with h igher quantitative scores in the PB group (44 +/- 11 vs 39 +/- 8). Neu rologic deficits were noted in 2 of 41 in the PB group and in 6 of 55 in the control group. Conclusions. Infants born to women who received antenatal PB therapy had similar neurodevelopmental outcomes as infant s born to women who did not receive PB. No adverse effects of PB expos ure were detected.