[tri-med] FYI - Isolated mental developmental delay in very low birth weight infants: Association with prolonged doxapram therapy for apnea

I am forwarding this article or URL for your information (FYI) as I believe
it may be of interest and is from a reliable source. As always, check the
information with your own doctor or health care professional before starting
or changing any treatments.

http://www.harcourthealth.com/scripts/om.dll/serve?action=searchDB&searchDBfor=art&artType=abs&id=a119592&nav=abs

Original Articles
Isolated mental developmental delay in very low birth weight infants: 
Association with prolonged doxapram therapy for apnea
Con Sreenan, MB, MRCP(I)
Phillip C. Etches, MB, FRCP(C), FAAP, FRCPCH
Nestor Demianczuk, MD, FRCP(C)
Charlene M.T. Robertson, MD, FRCP(C)

Objective: We investigated factors associated with isolated mental delay in 
infants weighing <1250 g at birth.
Study design: With a case-control design, matching variables for 40 cases 
included gestation, birth weight, sex, grade of
intraventricular hemorrhage, and socioeconomic status. Case subjects had a 
mental developmental index <70, and controls had a mental
developmental index 85, according to the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II 
at 18 months' corrected age.
Results: There were no differences between the case and control subjects for 
neonatal complications and antenatal or postnatal
steroid use. There was a marked difference in the cumulative dosage and 
duration of doxapram therapy used for apnea of prematurity
(total dose 2233 ± 1927 mg vs 615 ± 767 mg, P < .001; duration 45.2 ± 32.5 days 
vs 19.4 ± 23.4 days, P < .001 for case subjects and
control subjects, respectively). Multivariate analysis did not identify 
additive predictive variables.
Conclusion: Isolated mental delay in infants weighing <1250 g at birth was 
associated with the total dosage and duration of doxapram
therapy for severe apnea. Although this may be a marker for cerebral 
dysfunction manifesting as apnea of prematurity, possible
adverse effects of doxapram or its preservative, benzyl alcohol, on the 
developing brain deserve further study. (J Pediatr
2001;139:832-7)

                  Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
                       www.trisomyonline.org
                  Families Helping Families On-line

Other related posts: