Late morbiditeit bij kinderen met een geboortegewicht van minder dan 1500 gram, geboren in de periode 1979-1983

– Between 1st January 1979 and 31st December 1983, 491 very low birth weight infants (less than 1500 g.) were admitted to the neonatal unit of the Sophia Children's Hospital in Rotterdam. 150 infants died (mortality rate 30.5). Follow-up of 307 infants at one year of age showed handicaps in 44 (handicap rate 14.3). Major handicaps (cerebral palsy, psychomotor retardation) were found in 37 infants, minor handicaps in 5; blindness caused by retrolental fibroplasia was found in 2 infants. In a similar group of infants admitted in 1974-1978 the mortality rate was 40.4 and the handicap rate 28.6. It is concluded that the prognosis for very low birth weight infants is still improving.