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• Twenty-nine low-birth-weight infants who survived neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) were followed up prospectively and were last examined at a mean age of 3½ years. The mean gestational age (± SD) of the group was 28.9 weeks (±2.4 weeks), and the mean birth weight (±SD) was 1,167 g (±292 g). Ten patients (34%) had normal neurologic outcome, and four (14%) had minimal abnormalities. Nine children (31%) were categorized as moderately abnormal, and six (21%) had severe abnormalities on neurologic examination. Intellectual performance was normal for 14 patients (48%), mildly delayed for seven (24%), and in the retarded range for eight (28%). Twelve children (41%), at 3 years of age, had handicapping conditions severe enough to warrant admission to special education programs in the public school. The grade of IVH was related significantly to neurologic outcome; both grade of hemorrhage and birth weight were correlated significantly with need for special education. Intellectual performance was related not only to grade of hemorrhage and birth weight, but also to paternal social class.(Am J Dis Child 1983;137:1181-1184)

The course of growth and development of 30 infants of heroin addicts was observed from 3 to 34 months.Eighty percent had signs of neonatal withdrawal, while 60% continued with subacute withdrawal signs for three to six months.Behavioral disturbances, predominantly hyperactivity, brief attention span, and temper outbursts, were identified in seven of 14 infants observed one year or longer, while two had neurological abnormality. Growth impairment was associated with behavioral disturbances in four of the seven. These disturbances appear to be unrelated to subsequent environmental factors.Infants performed at age-appropriate levels on developmental testing.