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. 2015 Aug-Sep;20(6):e33-7.
doi: 10.1093/pch/20.6.e33.

Cognitive and motor function of neurologically impaired extremely low birth weight children

Janine Bernardo  1 , Harriet Friedman  2 , Nori Minich  2 , H Gerry Taylor  2 , Deanne Wilson-Costello  2 , Maureen Hack  2
Affiliations

Cognitive and motor function of neurologically impaired extremely low birth weight children

Janine Bernardo et al. Paediatr Child Health. 2015 Aug-Sep.

Abstract
in English, French

Background: Rates of neurological impairment among extremely low birth weight children (ELBW [<1 kg]) have decreased since 2000; however, their functioning is unexamined.

Objective: To compare motor and cognitive functioning of ELBW children with neurological impairment, including cerebral palsy and severe hypotonia/hypertonia, between two periods: 1990 to 1999 (n=83) and 2000 to 2005 (n=34).

Methods: Measures of function at 20 months corrected age included the Mental and Psychomotor Developmental Indexes of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the Gross Motor Functional Classification System as primary outcomes and individual motor function items as secondary outcomes.

Results: Analysis failed to reveal significant differences for the primary outcomes, although during 2000 to 2005, sitting significantly improved in children with neurological impairment (P=0.003).

Conclusion: Decreases in rates of neurological impairment among ELBW children have been accompanied by a suggestion of improved motor function, although cognitive function has not changed.

Historique: Les taux d’atteinte neurologique chez les enfants d’extrême petit poids à la naissance (EPPN [<1 kg]) ont diminué depuis 2000. Cependant, le fonctionnement de ces enfants n’a pas fait l’objet d’examens.

Objectif: Comparer le fonctionnement moteur et cognitif des enfants d’EPPN ayant une atteinte neurologique, y compris la paralysie cérébrale et l’hypotonie et l’hypertonie graves, pendant deux périodes : de 1990 à 1999 (n=83) et de 2000 à 2005 (n=34).

Méthodologie: Les mesures de la fonction à 20 mois d’âge corrigé incluaient les résultats cliniques primaires grâce aux indices de développement mental et psychomoteur de l’échelle Bayley du développement des nourrissons et au système de classification de la motricité brute, et les résultats cliniques secondaires grâce aux éléments de la fonction motrice individuelle.

Résultats: L’analyse n’a pu révéler de différences significatives dans les résultats cliniques primaires, même si entre 2000 et 2005, la position assise s’est considérablement améliorée chez les enfants ayant une atteinte neurologique (P=0,003).

Conclusion: La diminution des taux d’atteinte neurologique chez les enfants d’EPPN s’accompagne de la suggestion d’une amélioration de la fonction motrice, même si la fonction cognitive n’a pas changé.

Keywords: Cerebral palsy; Cognitive function; Motor function; Neurologically impaired; Premature infant.

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