These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Neurological examination of preterm infants at term equivalent age.
    Author: Ricci D, Romeo DM, Haataja L, van Haastert IC, Cesarini L, Maunu J, Pane M, Gallini F, Luciano R, Romagnoli C, de Vries LS, Cowan FM, Mercuri E.
    Journal: Early Hum Dev; 2008 Nov; 84(11):751-61. PubMed ID: 18614301.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: We previously reported the neurological findings of the Dubowitz neonatal examination in a cohort of 157 low-risk preterms born between 25 and 33 weeks gestational age (GA) and examined at term equivalent age (TEA). Median and range of scores were wider than those found in term-born infants and preterms showed a different neurological behaviour in specific items. However, the cohort number was too small to draw any definitive conclusion about the distribution of findings. AIMS: We provide normative data from a low-risk cohort of 380 preterm infants; we also assess the findings and their relationship to motor outcome in preterms with major cranial ultrasound (US) abnormality. STUDY DESIGN: We assessed, at TEA, 380 low-risk preterms born <35 weeks gestation (range 25-34.9, median 29) with normal 2 year motor outcome and 85 preterm infants with major US abnormality. RESULTS: At TEA low-risk preterms had less flexor limb tone, poorer head control but better visual following than term-born infants. For 28/34 of the neurological items the range and median scores were similar across gestational ages. In infants with major US lesions the range and median scores differed from low-risk preterms in 20/34 items; 40% of infants developing a diplegia and 80% developing a tetraplegia had >7 items outside the 90th centile; all infants with >12 items outside the 90th centile developed a tetraplegia. CONCLUSIONS: We provide reference values for the neurological examination of low-risk preterms at TEA. In infants with major US abnormality the number of items outside the 90th centile was an indicator of outcome severity.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]