HE INCREASED SURVIVAL OF EX-tremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants (ie, weighing 401-1000 g at birth) has heightened awareness of the importance of assessing and improving long-term outcomes associated with prematurity. [1][2][3][4] It is estimated that as many as 15% of the most immature infants develop cerebral palsy (CP) and approximately half develop cognitive and behavioral deficits. [1][2][3][4][5] Cerebral white matter damage, identified by cranial ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging, is a powerful predictor of CP in low-birth-weight preterm infants. 5,6 Investigators have reported associations among antenatal infection, a fetal inflammatory response, vasculitis, white matter damage, and long-term disability. [7][8][9][10] Infections are a frequent complication among ELBW preterm infants 11,12 and are associated with short-term sequelae and an increased risk of death.For editorial comment see p 2399.

BACKGROUND We previously reported early results of a randomized trial of whole-body hypothermia for neonatal hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy showing a significant reduction in the rate of death or moderate or severe disability at 18 to 22 months of age. Long-term outcomes are now available. METHODS In the original trial, we assigned infants with moderate or severe encephalopathy to usual care (the control group) or whole-body cooling to an esophageal temperature of 33.5°C for 72 hours, followed by slow rewarming (the hypothermia group). We evaluated cognitive, attention and executive, and visuospatial function; neurologic outcomes; and physical and psychosocial health among participants at 6 to 7 years of age. The primary outcome of the present analyses was death or an IQ score below 70. RESULTS Of the 208 trial participants, primary outcome data were available for 190. Of the 97 children in the hypothermia group and the 93 children in the control group, death or an IQ score below 70 occurred in 46 (47%) and 58 (62%), respectively (P = 0.06); death occurred in 27 (28%) and 41 (44%) (P = 0.04); and death or severe disability occurred in 38 (41%) and 53 (60%) (P = 0.03). Other outcome data were available for the 122 surviving children, 70 in the hypothermia group and 52 in the control group. Moderate or severe disability occurred in 24 of 69 children (35%) and 19 of 50 children (38%), respectively (P = 0.87). Attention–executive dysfunction occurred in 4% and 13%, respectively, of children receiving hypothermia and those receiving usual care (P = 0.19), and visuospatial dysfunction occurred in 4% and 3% (P = 0.80). CONCLUSIONS The rate of the combined end point of death or an IQ score of less than 70 at 6 to 7 years of age was lower among children undergoing whole-body hypothermia than among those undergoing usual care, but the differences were not significant. However, hypothermia resulted in lower death rates and did not increase rates of severe disability among survivors. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD Neonatal Research Network; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00005772.)

This large cohort study suggests that extremely low birth weight children with severe intraventricular hemorrhage that requires shunt insertion are at greatest risk for adverse neurodevelopmental and growth outcomes at 18 to 22 months compared with children with and without severe intraventricular hemorrhage and with no shunt. Long-term follow-up is needed to determine whether adverse outcomes persist or improve over time.

Enhanced understanding of the interaction of infection, inflammation and brain injury will be critical to developing strategies to improve neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants.

Objectives To compare 18- to 22-month cognitive scores and neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) in 2 time periods using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Neonatal Research Network assessment of extremely low birth weight infants with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition (Bayley II) in 2006–2007 (period 1) and using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley III), with separate cognitive and language scores, in 2008–2011 (period 2). Study design Scores were compared with bivariate analysis, and regression analyses were run to identify differences in NDI rates. Results Mean Bayley III cognitive scores were 11 points higher than mean Bayley II cognitive scores. The NDI rate was reduced by 70% (from 43% in period 1 to 13% in period 2; P < .0001). Multivariate analyses revealed that Bayley III contributed to a decreased risk of NDI by 5 definitions: cognitive score <70 and <85, cognitive or language score <70; cognitive or motor score <70, and cognitive, language, or motor score <70 (P < .001). Conclusion Whether the Bayley III is overestimating cognitive performance or whether it is a more valid assessment of emerging cognitive skills than the Bayley II is uncertain. Because the Bayley III identifies significantly fewer children with disability, it is recommended that all extremely low birth weight infants be offered early intervention services at the time of discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit, and that Bayley scores be interpreted with caution.

BACKGROUND: Extremely preterm infants are at risk for neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI). Early cranial ultrasound (CUS) is usual practice, but near-term brain MRI has been reported to better predict outcomes. We prospectively evaluated MRI white matter abnormality (WMA) and cerebellar lesions, and serial CUS adverse findings as predictors of outcomes at 18 to 22 months' corrected age.METHODS: Early and late CUS, and brain MRI were read by masked central readers, in a large cohort (n = 480) of infants ,28 weeks' gestation surviving to near term in the Neonatal Research Network. Outcomes included NDI or death after neuroimaging, and significant gross motor impairment or death, with NDI defined as cognitive composite score ,70, significant gross motor impairment, and severe hearing or visual impairment. Multivariable models evaluated the relative predictive value of neuroimaging while controlling for other factors.RESULTS: Of 480 infants, 15 died and 20 were lost. Increasing severity of WMA and significant cerebellar lesions on MRI were associated with adverse outcomes. Cerebellar lesions were rarely identified by CUS. In full multivariable models, both late CUS and MRI, but not early CUS, remained independently associated with NDI or death (MRI cerebellar lesions: odds ratio, 3.0 [95% confidence interval: 1.3-6.8]; late CUS: odds ratio, 9.8 [95% confidence interval: 2.8-35]), and significant gross motor impairment or death. In models that did not include late CUS, MRI moderate-severe WMA was independently associated with adverse outcomes.CONCLUSIONS: Both late CUS and near-term MRI abnormalities were associated with outcomes, independent of early CUS and other factors, underscoring the relative prognostic value of near-term neuroimaging.WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: White matter abnormality (WMA) on neuroimaging is considered a crucial link with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants. Brain MRI is more sensitive in detecting WMA than cranial ultrasound (CUS), but questions remain about timing and prognostic value of modalities.WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: Near-term CUS and MRI abnormalities were associated with adverse 18-to 22-month outcomes, independent of early CUS and other factors, underscoring the relative prognostic value of later neuroimaging in this large, extremely preterm cohort surviving to near-term. Trained research staff at each center collected maternal, demographic, perinatal, and neonatal data by using common definitions that were developed by NICHD NRN investigators and described in previous publications. [13][14][15][16] Data were transmitted to the NRN Data Coordinating Center at RTI International, which stored, managed, and analyzed all data. Neuroimaging: CUS and Brain MRI Cranial UltrasoundAn "early" CUS at 4 to 14 days, and a "late" CUS at 35 to 42 weeks' postmenstrual age (PMA) were obtained for NEURO study participants. CUS imaging was per local center clinical protocol. Mastoid, posterior fossa, or cine views were not specifically required. Central reader interpretat...

BACKGROUND Previous results from our trial of early treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) versus early surfactant treatment in infants showed no significant difference in the outcome of death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia. A lower (vs. higher) target range of oxygen saturation was associated with a lower rate of severe retinopathy but higher mortality. We now report longer-term results from our prespecified hypotheses. METHODS Using a 2-by-2 factorial design, we randomly assigned infants born between 24 weeks 0 days and 27 weeks 6 days of gestation to early CPAP with a limited ventilation strategy or early surfactant administration and to lower or higher target ranges of oxygen saturation (85 to 89% or 91 to 95%). The primary composite outcome for the longer-term analysis was death before assessment at 18 to 22 months or neurodevelopmental impairment at 18 to 22 months of corrected age. RESULTS The primary outcome was determined for 1234 of 1316 enrolled infants (93.8%); 990 of the 1058 surviving infants (93.6%) were evaluated at 18 to 22 months of corrected age. Death or neurodevelopmental impairment occurred in 27.9% of the infants in the CPAP group (173 of 621 infants), versus 29.9% of those in the surfactant group (183 of 613) (relative risk, 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78 to 1.10; P = 0.38), and in 30.2% of the infants in the lower-oxygen-saturation group (185 of 612), versus 27.5% of those in the higher-oxygen-saturation group (171 of 622) (relative risk, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.32; P = 0.21). Mortality was increased with the lower-oxygen-saturation target (22.1%, vs. 18.2% with the higher-oxygen-saturation target; relative risk, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.55; P = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS We found no significant differences in the composite outcome of death or neurodevelopmental impairment among extremely premature infants randomly assigned to early CPAP or early surfactant administration and to a lower or higher target range of oxygen saturation. (Funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; SUPPORT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00233324.)

Objective: To determine the rate and severity of short-and long-term morbidity in very low birth weight infants treated before and after the implementation of a change in clinical practice designed to avoid hyperoxia.Methods: Analysis of a prospectively collected database of all infants p1250 g