Evolutional neurologic evaluation of seven year-old children born prematurely.

A sample of 51 children aged 7 with a history of prematurity was compared to 44 age-matched children who were born at term at the HCPA. The premature children had had gestational ages up to 37 weeks and 6 days and were born weighing less than 2,500 g. The control group consisted of children born with gestational age between 38 and 42 weeks and weights above 2,500 g. The evaluation criteria were clinical examination, neurological examination and the evolutional neurological evaluation (ENE). The results pointed out that impulsiveness, aggressiveness, disorganization and enuresis were prevalent symptoms of developmental disturbances in the sample of prematures. Alterations at neurological examination did not discriminate between the two groups, although cerebral palsy occurred only in the group of prematures. The ENE functions which differentiated the two groups studied were dynamic balance, appendicular and trunk-limb coordination and motor persistence.