Clinical and subclinical deficits at 8 years in a geographically defined cohort of low birthweight infants.

P O Pharoah, C J Stevenson, R W Cooke, R C Stevenson

Department of Public Health, University of Liverpool.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the prevalence of subclinical deficits in cognitive and motor function in low birthweight infants. DESIGN--Children of birth weight < or = 2000 g born to mothers resident in Merseyside in 1980-1 assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), the Neale analysis of reading ability, and the Stott-Moyes-Henderson test of motor impairment (TOMI). Children attending normal schools assessed with controls matched for age, sex, and class in school. Children attending special schools were assessed unmatched. SUBJECTS--233 matched index case-control pairs attending normal primary schools and 46 unmatched children attending special schools. SETTING--Primary and special schools. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--IQ score, reading age in months, and TOMI score. RESULTS: Index cases when compared with controls had a lower WISC score (mean IQ difference 8.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.8 to 10.7), a lower reading age (mean difference 6.5 months; 95% CI 4.0 to 9.0), and poorer motor performance as shown by the TOMI score (mean difference 1.4; 95% CI 1.1 to 1.8). Of the children attending special schools, 23/46 (50%) had a WISC score < or = 50. CONCLUSIONS--Low birthweight children have significant subclinical deficits of cognitive and motor function and extra resources, especially in education, may be required to meet their needs.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Newsham, D., Knox, P. C., Cooke, R. W. I. (2007). Oculomotor Control in Children Who Were Born Very Prematurely. IOVS 48: 2595-2601 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Cooke, R W I (2006). Are there critical periods for brain growth in children born preterm?. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 91: F17-F20 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Grunau, R. E., Whitfield, M. F., Fay, T. B. (2004). Psychosocial and Academic Characteristics of Extremely Low Birth Weight (<=800 g) Adolescents Who Are Free of Major Impairment Compared With Term-Born Control Subjects. Pediatrics 114: e725-e732 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Evensen, K A I, Vik, T, Helbostad, J, Indredavik, M S, Kulseng, S, Brubakk, A-M (2004). Motor skills in adolescents with low birth weight. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 89: F451-F455 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• O'Brien, F, Roth, S, Stewart, A, Rifkin, L, Rushe, T, Wyatt, J (2004). The neurodevelopmental progress of infants less than 33 weeks into adolescence. Arch. Dis. Child. 89: 207-211 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Moser, K, Li, L, Power, C (2003). Social inequalities in low birth weight in England and Wales: trends and implications for future population health. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 57: 687-691 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pharoah, P O D, Stevenson, C J, West, C R (2003). General Certificate of Secondary Education performance in very low birthweight infants. Arch. Dis. Child. 88: 295-298 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Jefferis, B. J M H, Power, C., Hertzman, C. (2002). Birth weight, childhood socioeconomic environment, and cognitive development in the 1958 British birth cohort study. BMJ 325: 305-305 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Shenkin, S D, Starr, J M, Pattie, A, Rush, M A, Whalley, L J, Deary, I J, PHARAOH, E. P. P O D (2001). Birth weight and cognitive function at age 11 years: the Scottish Mental Survey 1932. Arch. Dis. Child. 85: 189-196 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Huddy, C L J, Johnson, A, Hope, P L (2001). Educational and behavioural problems in babies of 32-35 weeks gestation. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 85: F23-28 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Power, C., Li, L. (2000). Cohort study of birthweight, mortality, and disability. BMJ 320: 840-841 [Full Text]  
• Power, C., Li, L., Manor, O. (2000). A prospective study of limiting longstanding illness in early adulthood. Int J Epidemiol 29: 131-139 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Saigal, S., Hoult, L. A., Streiner, D. L., Stoskopf, B. L., Rosenbaum, P. L. (2000). School Difficulties at Adolescence in a Regional Cohort of Children Who Were Extremely Low Birth Weight. Pediatrics 105: 325-331 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Resnick, M. B., Gueorguieva, R. V., Carter, R. L., Ariet, M., Sun, Y., Roth, J., Bucciarelli, R. L., Curran, J. S., Mahan, C. S. (1999). The Impact of Low Birth Weight, Perinatal Conditions, and Sociodemographic Factors on Educational Outcome in Kindergarten. Pediatrics 104: 74e-74 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Reading, R. (1999). Portage home based programme for preterm infants did not provide a developmental advantage at 2 years of age. Evid. Based Ment. Health 2: 9-9 [Full Text]  
• Olsen, P., Vainionpaa, L., Paakko, E., Korkman, M., Pyhtinen, J., Jarvelin, M.-R. (1998). Psychological Findings in Preterm Children Related to Neurologic Status and Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Pediatrics 102: 329-336 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Horwood, L J., Mogridge, N., Darlow, B. A (1998). Cognitive, educational, and behavioural outcomes at 7 to 8 years in a national very low birthweight cohort. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 79: 12F-20 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Schaap, A H P, Wolf, H, Bruinse, H W, den Ouden, A L, Haas, H S.-d., van Ertbruggen, I, Treffers, P E (1997). Influence of obstetric management on outcome of extremely preterm growth retarded infants. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 77: 95F-99 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sanderson, C., Hall, D M B (1995). The outcomes of neonatal intensive care. BMJ 310: 681-682 [Full Text]