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A study on the school-based behavioral adjustment in very low birthweight children was conducted to examine their morbidity rates. Results from a school-based behavioral adjustment at 7-8 years of a cohort of 243 prematurely born show low birthweight children and their normal birthweight control. Children born preterm were considered to have more behavior problems that reflect a failure in self regulatory function.

Social competence of school-age very-low birthweight (VLBW) children was compared with that of normal birthweight (NBW) children in a study conducted in Northern Ireland. 183 VLBW children were compared to a control group of 183 NBW children matched for other variables. Teacher, peer and self-report measures were used to assess social maladjustment, social skill and peer acceptance. The VLBW group mean scores were significantly higher in sadness/unhappiness. Social withdrawal was also higher and social skill and peer acceptance lower for the VLBW group.

Twenty-five infants with transient tachypnoea of the newborn (TTN) were examined by serial echocardiography during the first 4 days of life. The infants could be divided clinically into two groups: group 1 (n = 19) babies with mild classical TTN requiring less than 40% oxygen, and group 2 (n = 6) babies with severe TTN needing greater than 60% oxygen. Apart from amount of oxygen these two groups differed in that those with severe TTN had lower Apgar scores and arterial pH soon after birth. Echocardiography showed that the babies with classical TTN had increased left ventricular pre-ejection period to ejection times (LPEP/LVET) during the first day of life. Initial LPEP/LVET ratio correlated with duration of treatment with oxygen. The babies with severe TTN increased LPEP/LVET and right ventricular pre-ejection period to ejection times ratios (RPEP/ RVET) during the first 3 days of life. There was no correlation between systolic time intervals and duration of oxygen treatment. These findings suggest that there may be two distinct types of TTN: mild or classical type resulting from mild left ventricular failure, and a severe type associated with generalised myocardial failure, pulmonary hypertension, and right-to-left shunting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sinusoidal heart rate traces were detected in 8 patients, 6 of whom died; the 2 survivors showed evidence of gross cerebral damage. It is felt that the origin of the sinusoidal curve is probably central and reflects loss of central control of heart rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]