Factors associated with the development of preterm children at four and eight months of corrected gestational age

The big advances in perinatal care have resulted in longer survival of newborns with lower birth weight. However, these children are at high risk for developmental alterations. Objective: To analyse the relationship between perinatal variables and the overall development of premature infants at four and eight months of corrected age. Methods: Longitudinal prospective cohort study where 91 preterm infants with gestational age at or below 34 weeks were followed. The children were evaluated at four and eight months of age by cognitive scales of motor and language with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development III. Results: Birth weight and bronchopulmonary dysplasia were identifi ed as factors for the permanence in the delayed of overall development. The intervention, after routing, was identifi ed as a factor in the improvement effort. Conclusion: Birth weight below 1,000g and bronchopulmonary dysplasia were the main predictive factors for developmental delay. Systematic intervention was a predictive factor for improvement in development.