Handicaps and health problems in 2 year old children of birth weight 500 to 1500 g

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Abstract
Fifty-nine infants of birthweight 500-999 g born in 1977-1980 and 132 infants of birthweight 1000-1500 g born in 1977-1978 were reviewed at 2 yr corrected age. For the whole cohort, cerebral palsy was found in 12.6%, bilateral deafness in 1%, blindness in 1% and severe developmental delay in 12%. There was no significant difference in these disabilities between the groups of larger and smaller infants; 37.7% of the cohort was readmitted to hospital on at least 1 occasion, 35.6% of children had wheezing episodes and/or lower respiratory tract infections which together accounted for 51% of hospitalizations. The infants of birthweight 500-999 g tended to require more frequent and prolonged hospitalizations. Dolicocephalic head shape, chest deformities, iatrogenic sequelae from intensive care, poor growth and cicatricial retrolental fibroplasia were significantly more frequent in children of birthweight 500-999 g. Parents reported that 39% of their children had colic, 31.6% had sleep disturbance and 25% had multiple behavioral problems. Low frustration tolerance, inability to wait, hypoactivity or hyperactivity and an inappropriate relationship with the mother as measured by the psychologist all occurred significantly more frequently in children of birthweight of < 1000 g. This report confirms the belief that a comprehensive follow-up is required for very low birthweight (VLBW) children because signficant health problems continue after primary hospitalization.