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DIFFERENTIAL COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY MEDICALJCOMPLICATIONS IN PREMATURE INFANTS

Susan Landry, Cynthia Zarling, Lynn Chapieskl , Jack Fletcher

This study evaluated the effects of several early medical complications on the development of premature very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. A large cohort of premature infants were grouped according to the following complications at birth; (i) intraventri- cular hemorrhage with respiratory distress syndrome (IVH-RDS); (2) respiratory distress syndrome without intraventricular hemorrhage (RDS-no IVH); (3) bron- chial pulmonary dysplasia; (4) bronchial-pulmonary dysplasia with IVH (BPD-IVH); and (5) hydrocephalus (HYD) secondary to I~,H. These complications are fre-

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quently associated Kith prematurity and were hypoth- esized to have differential effects on later devel- opmental outcome. Premature infants have been evaluated with the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale at 36 months. Results revealed that the IVH- RDS and RDS-no IVH infants performed similary and showed performance in the average range for their chronological age by 24 months. In contrast, the infants in the BPD and HYD groups had generally lower scores, which remained in the delayed range through- out the follow-up period. Identical results were found for both maternal report and observations of behavioral problems at 3 years. The specific type of observed behavior problems associated with BPD and HYD suggest an organic etiology. The implication of these results for early intervention is discussed.