Neuropsychological consequences of very low birth weight and asphyxia at term: Follow-up until school-age

This prospective, longitudinal study examined neuropsychological consequences of different conditions associated with risks of perinatal asphyxia. Four groups of children, 5 to 9 years of age, were studied: (1) very low birth weight (VLBW) children born small for gestational age (SGA) (n = 34); (2) VLBW children born appropriate for gestational age (AGA) (n = 43); (3) children with signs of birth asphyxia at term (birth asphyxia) (n = 36), and (4) control children (n = 45). Moderately and severely disabled children were excluded. The WISC-R and the NEPSY, a new neuropsychological assessment consisting of attention, language, motor, sensory, visuospatial, and memory subtests, were administered. The VLBW-SGA group had the poorest test results. The VLBW-AGA group was somewhat less impaired, whereas the birth asphyxia group performed at the control group level. Impairment, when present, tended to be diffuse in all groups, affecting psychometric intelligence, naming, visuo-motor performance, tactile finger discrimination, attention, and phonological analysis.