Prognosis for low-birthweight infants up to the age of 14: a population study

Dev Med Child Neurol. 1985 Oct;27(5):655-63. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1985.tb14138.x.

Abstract

A birth cohort of 12,058 infants was followed up to 14 years of age. Cerebral palsy, epilepsy, severe hearing defects, mental retardation and educational subnormality all had a higher incidence among the 411 children with a low birthweight (less than 2500 g). 6 per cent of the total cohort had educational problems with or without some other neurological handicap, and there was a higher prevalence among low-birthweight infants. 1.5 per cent had a handicap but normal school performance. Children with birthweight 1500 to 2499 g had a significantly higher percentage of handicaps than those of heavier birthweight. All the neurological handicaps were more common among boys than girls, but only in mental subnormality was there a marked difference. Height at 14 years was significantly less among low-birthweight children.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging*
  • Birth Weight
  • Body Height
  • Cerebral Palsy / epidemiology
  • Educational Measurement
  • Epilepsy / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant Mortality
  • Infant, Low Birth Weight*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Intellectual Disability / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Population Surveillance*
  • Prognosis