Morbidity and neurological function of very low birthweight infants from the newborn period to 4y of age. A prospective study from the south‐east region of Sweden

All 107 infants weighing ≤ 1500 g at birth (VLBW) and born alive in the south‐east region of Sweden during a 15‐month period in 1987–88 were enrolled in a prospective study to determine the prevalence of handicap and to assess neurological function in comparison 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 or more. The VLBW infants who survived had fewer optimal neurological responses than the controls at 40 weeks post‐conceptional age. Eighty‐two VLBW children were followed to 4y of age. Three (4%) children had a neurological handicap and 9 (11%) had a moderate neurological deviation. Neither the size of ICH nor neonatal optimality score correlated to neurological outcome at 4 y of age. The VLBW children without neurological handicap or deviation ( n = 70) had a delay in psychomotor development in comparison with the controls. Mental development and school performance, in particular language development, will be examined at school age.