Objective: We report the results of survival and incidence of neurodevelopmental sequelae in a group of 249 infants treated in our hospital between 1986-91, whose birth weight was under 1,500 grams.
Method: We perform a follow-up at corrected ages of 3, 6, 10, 18, 36 months and 5 years thought results only included children followed until 18. Sequelae were classified in three groups, according to the disability degree.
Results: Survival resulted to be 69.87% (174), 38.7% for the group under 1,000 grams and 84.7% for those over 1,000 grams. Sequelae were present in 22.6% (11.6% moderate and 10.9% severe). The incidence of severe sequelae was very different on basis of the birth weight, 25.8% for children under 1,000 grams, 13.9% for 1,000-1,249 grams and 1.6% for 1,250-1,500 grams.
Conclusions: Intracranial haemorrhage, hyperbilirubinemia, assisted ventilation and persistence of ductus arteriosus were significantly associated sequelae. We didn't find differences with respect to multiple pregnancy, seizures, sepsis or neonatal hypoxia.