Problems Likely for Tiny Neonates with Infection

Premature babies with extremely low birth weight who acquire an infection are much more likely than healthy babies to experience developmental impairments, according to a new study.

Researchers evaluated more than 6,000 infants who weighed 401-1,000 g at birth. The evaluation took place when they were 18-20 months corrected gestational age, equivalent to the age they would be had they been born at term. The majority (65%) had at least one infection during their stay in the hospital. About 47% of the babies with infection had some form of delay in development or a physical or mental impairment. The developmental impairments occurred regardless of the type of infection, i.e., whether it occurred in the brain, blood, or intestines. Impairments consisted of either cerebral palsy, a visual impairment, a hearing impairment, or were shown by low scores on tests of infant mental development or motor skills.

"This study shows us that successfully treating an extremely low birth-weight infant's infection does not automatically ensure that the infant will do well,” explained Duane Alexander, M.D., director of the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD, Bethesda, MD, USA). The study was conducted by the Neonatal Research Network of the NICHD. The results were reported in the November 17, 2004, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.




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