CATCH-UP HEAD GROWTH AND MOTOR-PERFORMANCE IN VERY-LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS

The relationship between catch-up head growth and motor performance wa s examined in 48 very-low-birthweight (< 1,500 g) infants. All infants were nonasphyxiated, normocephalic, and appropriately grown for gesta tional age at birth. Serial cranial ultrasonography during the first m onth of life revealed no intracranial pathology. The age of catch-up h ead growth, defined as the corrected age when the head circumference r ecovered to the 5th percentile, was determined for each infant. At 12 months corrected age, the infants were evaluated and grouped according to normal (n = 37) or abnormal (n = 11) motor assessments. The abnorm al group achieved catch-up head growth by 7.7 +/- 2.1 months vs 3.7 +/ - 3.1 months for the normal group (P < .05). Only 27% of the motor-del ayed infants achieved catch-up head growth by 6 months corrected age, as compared with 89% of the normal infants (P < .05). Premature infant s who have achieved catch-up head growth by 6 months corrected age, co rresponding to the period of maximal postnatal brain growth, have fewe r motor abnormalities than infants who attain catch-up head growth lat er. There is a significant relationship between head circumference at 6 months corrected age and motor development in very-low-birthweight i nfants.