Poor postnatal head growth in very preterm infants is associated with impaired neurodevelopment outcome.
AIM
To examine the association between neurodevelopmental outcome and head circumference (HC) in a cohort of very preterm infants and in this context to investigate the relevance of suboptimal head size.


METHODS
Somatometric data were obtained at birth, discharge and 3, 12 and 24 months for all infants born in Tyrol <32 weeks gestational age. Growth data are presented as z scores. HC was defined as microcephaly (>2 SD below mean), suboptimal (>1 SD below mean) or normal head size (<1 SD below mean). Neurodevelopmental outcome was quantified at 12 and 24 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II.


RESULTS
The percentage of infants with suboptimal head size increased until the age of 24 months and was related to adverse outcome. The association was strongest between HC at 3 months and psychomotor and mental outcome as quantified using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development.


CONCLUSION
Poor postnatal head growth was common in our study cohort. Both microcephaly and suboptimal head size were associated with impaired neurodevelopmental outcome. Suboptimal head size at 3 months was found to be particularly associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome.
['Neubauer|Vera|V|', 'Griesmaier|Elke|E|', 'Pehböck-Walser|Nicola|N|', 'Pupp-Peglow|Ulrike|U|', 'Kiechl-Kohlendorfer|Ursula|U|']
D000367:Age Factors D002508:Cephalometry D002657:Child Development D015331:Cohort Studies D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D002658:Developmental Disabilities D005260:Female D005500:Follow-Up Studies D005865:Gestational Age D006257:Head D006801:Humans D007231:Infant, Newborn D007234:Infant, Premature D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight D008607:Intellectual Disability D008297:Male D058627:Megalencephaly D008831:Microcephaly D011181:Postnatal Care D018570:Risk Assessment D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
Head growth Preterm Neurodevelopment Postnatal growth