MORBIDITY AND NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION OF VERY-LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS FROM THE NEWBORN PERIOD TO 4 Y OF AGE - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY FROM THE SOUTH-EAST REGION OF SWEDEN

All 107 infants weighing less than or equal to 1500 g at birth (VLBW) and born alive in the south-east region of Sweden during a 15-month pe riod in 1987-88 were enrolled in a prospective study to determine the prevalence of handicap and to assess neurological function in comparis on with controls. Eighty-six (80%) infants survived. Twenty (19%) had intracranial haemorrhages (ICH) assessed by ultrasound examinations in the neonatal period and 2 (2.3%) retinopathy of prematurity stage 3 o r more. The VLBW infants who survived had fewer optimal neurological r esponses than the controls at 40 weeks post-conceptional age. Eighty-t wo VLBW children were followed to 4 y of age. Three (4%) children had a neurological handicap and 9 (11%) had a moderate neurological deviat ion. Neither the size of ICH nor neonatal optimality score correlated to neurological outcome at 4 y of age. The VLBW children without neuro logical handicap or deviation (n = 70) had a delay in psychomotor deve lopment in comparison with the controls. Mental development and school performance, in particular language development, will be examined at school age.