Abstract
The Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (BNBAS) was used to examine 2 groups of infants discharged from the NICU at ∼2000 g and at 40 weeks postconceptual age (∼6 weeks later) who were fed formulas containing 1.9 or 2.2 g protein/100 kcal. Birth weight, gestational age, age at time of exam or energy intake did not differ between groups. The BNBAS cluster scores were calculated for each Infant and compared to a group of healthy term infants examined on the second postnatal day.
Blood urea nitrogen concentrations of 1.9 and 2.2 g protein formula-fed LBW infants were 2.8±0.4 and 4.4±0.4 (p<0.01) respectively. In discharged LBW infants, neurobehavioral outcome was not related to the protein level of the diet in this range at either examination time and was similar to performance of in-hospital LBW infants fed 2.2 g/100 kcal described by Bhatia et al (Ped Res 20:p159A, 1986). Overall score of term infants on this scale was significantly better, although regulation of state was better in the discharged LBW infants. We conclude that performance scores for most of the variables tested by the BNBAS are suboptimal in discharged LBW infants.
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Blasini, I., Picone, T., Molina, J. et al. NEUROBEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT OF DISCHARGED LBW INFANTS FED TWO DIFFERENT PROTEIN LEVELS AND COMPARED TO HEALTHY TERM INFANTS. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 179 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00077
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00077