Abstract
Nineteen sets of multiple birth infants (17 twins, 2 triplets) in whom at least one sibling required neonatal intensive care have been followed for periods between 6 months and 2 years. A significant finding in this population has been an acceleration of both the motor and mental developmental milestones in the sicker of the multiple siblings. This observation has been made independently by six of seven sets of parents in which only one sibling was transferred from an outlying hospital to the Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Center. This difference became evident to them within the first 6 months of life and has been supported on subsequent follow up visits and on developmental testing (Denver Developmental and Bayley Scales.) Aside from major central nervous system disease where the scquellae of bleeding or infection was permanent, this observation of both a more rapid acquisition of major milestones as well as a more aggresive and outgoing personality has held true for varying spectra of medical disease including severe respiratory failure which required prolonged mechanical ventilation. These findings raise questions concerning the current concepts of maternal-infant interaction and separation, the effects of intensive and continuous stimulation in an ICU setting, the possibility of neglect of the well sibling in favor of a more critically ill newborn having undergone prolonged hospitalization, and the possibility of later long term behavior disorders, learning disabilities, hyperactivity etc. in the “accelerated” sibling.
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Bauer, C., W Cleveland, W. EFFECTS OF NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE-A FOLLOW UP STUDY OF MULTIPLE BIRTHS. Pediatr Res 11, 374 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00031
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00031