Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Very Low Birth Weight Infants Born in a Tertiary Health Center

BACKGROUND: The very low birth infants (VLBW) are exposed to multiple risk factors in the antenatal, perinatal and neonatal periods which result in significant short term morbidities and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. There is limited data about the survival and the long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of these infants from India. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to estimate the incidence and risk factors for mortality in the Neonatal ICU and to estimate the incidence and risk factors of poor neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18-24 months corrected gestational age, of a cohort of very low birth weight infants. In addition, the study also looked at the growth and development of the small for gestational age infants in comparison to that of appropriate for gestational age infants. CONCLUSIONS: The survival and neurodevelopmental outcomes of the VLBW infants in this study are the best reported from this country and are comparable to Western data. Poor post-natal growth was significantly associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcome. There was no difference in the survival and neurodevelopmental outcomes of small for gestational age babies compared to those who were born appropriate for gestational age. Post-natal growth is a significant factor associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome of VLBW infants