Aşırı düşük doğum ağırlıklı preterm bebeklerin erken çocukluk döneminde gelişimsel değerlendirme sonuçları
Özet
Early Childhood Developmental Evaluation Results of Preterm Infants with Extremely Low Birth Weight Introduction: Developmental evaluation and follow-up of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) and preterm newborns are important for early diagnosis and treatment. Moreover, preterm infants have higher risk of encountering developmental problems if compared to term infants. Hence, the greater immaturity and lower birth weight, the higher risk of developmental delay. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the development of language, cognitive and motor areas in early childhood (24-42 months) of extremely low birth weight infants who were born between February 2017 and February 2019 and hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Ankara University Faculty of Medicine (AUFM) Department of Pediatrics and then followed up in the Neonatology and Developmental Pediatrics Departments. Material and Methods: Prenatal, natal and postnatal characteristics of 34 children in the sample were examined between 24-42 months and their developmental evaluations were monitored remotely, also their developmental status in cognitive, language/communication and motor areas was determined. The relationship between the characteristics affecting the development of children (birth weight, gestational age, gender, antenatal steroid (ANS) treatment, mechanical ventilation duration, early onset sepsis (EOS), late onset sepsis (LOS), broncopulmonary displasia (BPD), meningitis, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), grade 3-4 intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), maternal education) and their developmental status were analyzed. Results: Developmental delay in all three domains (cognitive, language/communication and motor) was found in 5 (15%) of 34 children. The most common developmental delay was detected in cognitive area (26.5%). A statistically significant relationships were found between following situations; cognitive delay with birth weight, LOS, meningitis and PVL, language delay with PVL and meningitis, delayed motor areas with stage 3-4 IVH, PVL, meningitis and lack of antenatal steroid treatment. Conclusion: These results show that the development of preterm infants born with ELBW may be affected at different levels; therefore, it is important monitoring and supporting childhood development with standard development assessment tools.