The association between restricted intrauterine growth and inadequate postnatal nutrition in very-low-birth-weight infants and their neurodevelopmental outcomes: a 50-month follow-up study

In this study, we evaluate how neurodevelopment may be affected by intrauterine growth (IUGR) restriction and by an inadequate intake of nutritional energy during the early neonatal period. A longitudinal cohort study was conducted to analyse the nutritional contributions received during the first week of life, among a population of 396 VLBW infants. Motor, cognitive, sensory and behavioural development was assessed at 14, 25, 33 and 50 months. The association between IUGR, postnatal energy restriction and neurodevelopment was examined using multivariate logistic regression techniques. Mild cognitive delay was observed in 35.6% of neonates with IUGR and in 24% of those with appropriate birth weight. IUGR is associated with behavioural disorder (OR 2.60; 95% CI 1.25 - 5.40) and delayed cognitive development (OR 2.64; 95% CI 1.34 - 5.20). Energy restriction during the first week of life is associated with visual deficiency (OR 2.96; 95% CI 1.26 - 6.84) and cerebral palsy (OR 3.05; CI 95% 1.00 - 9.54). In VLBW infants, IUGR is associated with behavioural disorder, while postnatal energy restriction is significantly associated with motor disorder, infantile cerebral palsy and sensory disorder.PMID:33866979 | DOI:10.1017/S000711452100132X
Source: The British Journal of Nutrition - Category: Nutrition Authors: Source Type: research