DEVELOPMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF HEAD GROWTH FOLLOWING INTRACRANIAL HEMORRHAGE

This study examined the association between head size at birth, discha rge, and 1 year and developmental outcome at 1 year in preterm infants , with and without intracranial hemorrhages (ICH) or associated perive ntricular echodensities (PVE), The data indicated that most sick prete rm infants with small heads at discharge achieved appropriate head siz es at 1 year. Analyses of the 1-year mental and motor performances of 125 subjects revealed that for subjects who did not develop ICH, appro priate head sizes at birth and discharge were associated with good dev elopmental outcome, whereas infants with small heads (< two standard d eviations below the mean for age) before hospital discharge were more likely to show poorer developmental outcome at 1 year. For subjects wi th ICH, birth and discharge head circumference were not predictive of 1-year developmental status; however, normal head size at 1 year was a ssociated with better outcome. This was true for children with transie nt PVE as well, However persistent periventricular echodensities were associated with both mental and motor deficits at 1 year, regardless o f head growth.