Psychomotor state of development of preterm children concerning chronic neonatal morbidities at the age of 2 years

Introduction: Over the last few years, in the development of neonatology, the limits to which it is possible to sustain the lives of premature babies have been extended, and thus the proportion of survivors with chronic morbidities has increased. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), all of which deeply influence the quality of life, life expectancy and social integration, are the most significant morbidities among premature newborns. Aim: Description of psychomotor development of low birth weight (<2500 g) premature infants at the age of 2 years, in relation to the most common chronic morbidities. Method: Psychomotor development (Brunet-Lezine scale, 1980) of low-birth-weight preterm infants at the age of 2 years (n = 200) was measured and the neonatal final reports were analysed retrospectively. Results: After age correction, birth weight positively correlated with the developmental quotient (DQ), while the length of stay in hospital correlated negatively. Grades I/II of neonatal IVH were not significant predictors of lower DQ, while the opposite was true for grades III/IV. We identified a similar relationship with the stages of ROP. According to the result of the homogeneity test, we can consider the independent effects of significant diseases. We also observed that the more diagnoses the premature baby received, the more they are at risk of later developmental delay at the age of 2 years. Conclusions: We recommend the early childhood interventions of the most vulnerable children of <= 1500 g birth weight with severe ROP and IVH - to reduce deficiencies in capabilities and prevent future mental and motor difficulties.