Original Article
Journal of Perinatology (2005) 25, 210–215. doi:10.1038/sj.jp.7211228 Published online 2 December 2004
Risk Factors for Adverse Neurodevelopment in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants with Normal Neonatal Cranial Ultrasound
Venkatesh Sampath MBBS, MRCPCh1, Jennifer Bowen MBBS, FRACP1 and Frances Gibson PhD1
1Department of Neonatal Medicine (V.S., J.B., F.G.), Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney
Correspondence: Venkatesh Sampath, MBBS, MRCPCh, Department of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
To determine risk factors associated with adverse developmental outcome at 5 years in extremely low birth weight infants or extremely premature infants (<28 weeks) with normal neonatal cranial ultrasounds.
DESIGN/METHODS:
Data were collected prospectively on 152 infants with gestation <28 weeks or birth-weight <1000 g. Infants were grouped into those with normal development, mild-to-moderate impairment (IQ 70 to 84, or hearing loss 30 to 89 dB, visual acuity 6/18 to 6/60, or mild/moderate cerebral palsy (CP)) and severe impairment (IQ <70, hearing loss 
90 dB, visual acuity <6/60, or severe CP).
RESULTS:
Five-year outcomes were available for 144/152 children (95%). In all, 89 (62%) infants had normal development, 39 (27%) had mild–moderate impairment and 16 (11%) had severe impairment. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, factors associated with developmental impairment were serum bilirubin 200 
mol/l (odds ratio (OR) – 4.06, p=0.003) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (OR–1.6, p=0.03).
CONCLUSIONS:
A serum bilirubin 200 mol/l and presence of ROP are postnatal risk factors associated with an adverse developmental outcome in infants with normal cranial ultrasounds.
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