Longterm follow-up of ventilator treated low birthweight infants. II. Neurological and psychological outcome at 6-7 years.

Forty-five of 47 low birthweight infants (less than 2.5 kg b.w.) from a 2 1/2-year period surviving after ventilator treatment in the neonatal period were studied. The children were assessed at the age of 6-7 years by neurological examination and Griffith's test. There were 2 children with diplegia, and one with a descrete hemiplegia. Eleven other children had minor motor disturbances. Fifteen children had short attention span. In the Griffith's test 8 had a general quotient below 3; most often because of low scores in the Locomotor scale and the Performance scales. Eight children had minor motor difficulties and short attention span in combination. These eight children together with the three patients with cerebral palsy, another four patients with low Griffith test and one girl with severe retrolental fibroplasia, and one girl with neurogenic hearing reduction could be at risk for later school difficulties (38%). Finally, one boy was successfully shunted for hydrocephalus. The abnormalities found did not correlate with birthweight or duration of ventilator treatment.