Impact of intraventricular hemorrhage on cognitive and behavioral outcomes at 18 years of age in low birth weight preterm infants

摘要

OBJECTIVE: Although high-grade intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH; grades III-IV) in preterm and low birth weight infants are clearly associated with increased risk of long-term adverse neurodevelopmental sequelae, the impact of low-grade IVH (grades I-II) has been less clear. Some studies have followed these infants through early school age and have shown some conflicting results regarding cognitive outcome. Such studies that assess children at younger ages may not accurately predict outcomes in later childhood, as it is known that fluid and crystallized intelligence peak at age 26 years. There is paucity of data in current medical literature, which correlates low-grade IVH with outcomes in early adulthood. To determine the link between the occurrence of low-grade IVH in low birth weight (birth weight <= 2500 g) infants born prematurely (gestational age <37 weeks) and intellectual function, academic achievement, and behavioral problems to the age of 18 years.