Neurological examination combined with brain MRI or cranial US improves prediction of neurological outcome in preterm infants.

Background: The predictive value of the combination of neurological examination and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or cranial ultrasound (cUS) in preterm infants is not known.

Aims: To study the prognostic value of the combination of neurological examination and brain MRI at term equivalent age (TEA) or serial neonatal cUS in very preterm infants for neurosensory outcome at 2 years of corrected age.

Study Design: A prospective follow-up study.

Preterm infant's early crying associated with child's behavioral problems and parents' stress.

Objective: To study how the early crying behavior of preterm infants at term, 6 weeks, and 5 months of corrected age is related to later behavioral problems at age 3 and 4 years and parenting stress at 2 and 4 years.

Methods: The study group included 202 live-born, low birth weight infants (birth weight ≤1500 g) born from January 2001 through December 2006 at the Turku University Hospital, Finland. A Baby Day Diary was used to assess the preterm infants' crying behavior at term, 6 weeks, and 5 months of corrected age.

Associations between regional brain volumes at term-equivalent age and development at 2 years of age in preterm children.

Background: Altered brain volumes and associations between volumes and developmental outcomes have been reported in prematurely born children.

Objectives: To assess which regional brain volumes are different in very low birth weight (VLBW) children without neurodevelopmental impairments ([NDI] cerebral palsy, hearing loss, blindness and significantly delayed cognitive performance) compared with VLBW children with NDI, and to evaluate the association between regional brain volumes at term-equivalent age and cognitive development and neurological performance at a corrected age of 2 years.

Materials And Methods: The study group consisted of a regional cohort of 164 VLBW children, divided into one group of children without NDI (n = 148) and one group of children with NDI (n = 16).

Ventricular dilatation in relation to outcome at 2 years of age in very preterm infants: a prospective Finnish cohort study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyse the relation between ventricular dilatation at term and neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years corrected age in infants of very low birthweight (VLBW) or very low gestational age (VLGA).

Method: A total of 225 VLBW or VLGA infants (121 males, 104 female; mean birthweight 1133 g, SD 333 g; mean gestational age 29 wks, SD 2 wks 5d) born in Turku University Hospital were included. Ventricular-brain ratio and the widths of each lateral ventricular horn were determined using ultrasonography, and the volume of the ventricles was measured by magnetic resonance imaging at term.

Abnormal antenatal Doppler velocimetry and cognitive outcome in very-low-birth-weight infants at 2 years of age.

Objective: To study neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of corrected age in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) (< or = 1500 g) preterm infants with abnormal fetoplacental flow.

Methods: A total of 258 VLBW infants were born at Turku University Hospital between 2001 and 2006. Of these, 99 had undergone, within 1 week of delivery, antenatal Doppler assessment of blood flow in the umbilical artery (UA), fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA), descending aorta (DAo), aortic isthmus and ductus venosus and were eligible for inclusion in the study.