OBJECTIVE: To compare the neurological assessment of preterm newborn infants with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). METHODS: Preterm newborn infants with birth weight less than 1,500g and gestational age less than 32 weeks were evaluated by Dubowitz Method at 40 weeks of corrected gestational age. All infants were assisted at Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), Campinas (SP), Brazil. Dubowitz Neurological Assessment comprised 29 items divided into six categories: tone, tone patterns, reflexes, movements, abnormal signs and behavior. Newborn behavioral state was graded in six degrees according to Brazelton (1973). Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used for qualitative variables and Mann-Whitney for non-parametric numeric variables, with 5% significance level. RESULTS: From January of 2005 to September of 2007, 24 newborns were evaluated: 12 with BPD (mean gestational age and birth weight of 28±1 week and 884±202g) and 12 without BPD (31±1 week and 1156±216g). Out of the 29 items, 18 were homogeneous between the groups. The general score of the groups were similar (p=0.30). For eight items, BPD Group presented higher percentage of abnormalities. Infants without BPD had more abnormalities in three items. CONCLUSIONS: Dubowitz Neurological Assessment in preterm newborn infants with and without BPD did not present significant differences at 40 weeks of corrected gestational age. For reflex and posture/tone categories, there was a trend towards the presence of more abnormalities in the BPD Group.
bronchopulmonary dysplasia; infant, premature; child development
