Two-year outcome of infants weighing 600 grams or less at birth and born 1994 through 1998.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the neurologic and developmental outcome at 2 years of age in preterm infants with birth weights 600 g or lower.

METHOD: We conducted a retrospective review from January 1994 through December 1998 for placental histopathology, maternal factors, neonatal intensive care unit course, growth, neurologic/special sense status, and development at 2 years of age corrected for prematurity.

RESULTS

Of the 104 neonates weighing 600 g or less, 24 survived to nursery discharge (23%). Two infants died of chronic lung disease after discharge, and 21 of the remaining 22 infants (95%) returned for follow-up. Placental pathology was available for 21 (95%); acute inflammation was present in 67%, and other abnormalities occurred in 76%. Mean birth weight was 537 (430-600) g, and mean gestational age was 24 (22-27) weeks. At birth, 55% were below the tenth percentile for birth weight. At nursery discharge and 2 years of age, 94% were below the tenth percentile for weight, length, and head circumference. Nineteen of 21 (90%) infants were abnormal on neurodevelopmental follow-up. Major problems were cerebral palsy, blindness, gastrostomies, and ventriculoperitoneal shunts.

CONCLUSION

Abnormal placental histology was present in all but one infant, suggesting fetal injury before birth. Only eight of 20 infants with chorioamnionitis were diagnosed clinically, and all infants had a complicated course. We found a high incidence of intrauterine growth restriction and an almost universal pattern of impaired postnatal growth with extremely poor neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age.