Influence of Perinatal Nutrition and Gestational Age on Neurodevelopment of Very Low-Birth-Weight Preterm Infants

AIM: To assess the influence of gestational age and perinatal nutrition on development at 24 months' corrected age in a cohort of very low-birth-weight preterm infants. METHODS: One hundred twenty-five very low-birth-weight preterm infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit within the first 48 hours of life were studied. The infants were classified as born small for gestational age (SGA) and still SGA at discharge (SGA/SGA); born adequate for gestational age (AGA) and SGA at discharge (AGA/SGA); and born AGA and still AGA age at discharge (AGA/AGA). The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III (BSID-III) were used for assessment of neurodevelopment at 24 months' corrected age. RESULTS: Fifty-six infants were classified as SGA/SGA, 55 as AGA/SGA, and 14 as AGA/AGA with no difference in BSID-III among the groups. By multiple linear regression analysis, the variables associated to better neurodevelopment outcome were higher gestational age and absence of grade III/IV periventricular/intraventricular hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: Immaturity is the most important variable associated with better neurodevelopment outcome in very preterm infants.