Developmental Outcome of Very Low Boy Weight Babies Born in a Regional Public Hospital in Hong Kong

摘要

Objectives To investigate the Short term development outcome of a cohort of Very low Birth Weight(VLRW)babies(i.e.Birth-weight less than 1500 g.)born in a Hong Kong regional public hospital in 2001.Design Non-randomized prospective cohort Study.Setting Regional public hospital in Hong Kong.Partieipants 29 babies with birth weight of less than 1500 g(i.e.very low birth weight babies)who were bom and survived to discharge in Kwong Wah Hospital in the period between lst January 2001 to 31st December 2001.Main outoome measures Deveiopmcntal outcome.Results A total of 27 very low birth weight babies(15 males and 12 females)were included in the study.The mean gestational age of the cohort was 28.6 weeks±3.08 weeks.The mean birth weight of the cohort of babies was 1120 g±270 g.Two patients defaulted follow up and assessment in the first two years of life.At the chronological age of 4 vears old,21 out of 25 babies (84%)had normal growth and development.Four out of 25 babies were found to have developmental delay,including one baby with severe handicap.Conehmion With advances in medical care,many low birth weight babies can now 8urvive,but a number of these high risk babies may have long term developmental problems.It is important to monitor these patients closely after discharge from hospital so that early identification and rehabilitation of developmental problems can be possible.