Table 3
Neurological disabilities at 8 years of age in birthweight subgroups in regional ELBW cohorts compared over three distinct eras
| Neurosensory disability, n (%) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nil | Mild | Moderate | Severe | |
| Comparisons of severity of disabilities between eras are as follows: | ||||
| 500–999 g birthweight group: 1979–80 compared with 1985–87: χ2trend = 5.0, p = 0.025; 1979–80 compared with 1991–92: χ2trend = 4.0, p = 0.046; 1985–87 compared with 1991–92: χ2trend = 0.8, p = 0.78, NS. | ||||
| 500–749 g birthweight group: 1979–80 compared with 1985–87: χ2trend = 5.7, p = 0.017; 1979–80 compared with 1991–92: χ2trend = 2.5, p = 0.11, NS; 1985–87 compared with 1991–92: χ2trend = 2.1, p = 0.14, NS. | ||||
| 750–999 g birthweight group: 1979–80 compared with 1985–87: χ2trend = 2.4, p = 0.12, NS; 1979–80 compared with 1991–92: χ2trend = 4.0, p = 0.044; 1985–87 compared with 1991–92: χ2trend = 0.4, p = 0.52, NS. | ||||
| NS, not significant. | ||||
| 500–999 g birthweight group | ||||
| 1979–80, n = 87 | 37 (42.5) | 28 (32.2) | 10 (11.5) | 12 (13.8) |
| 1985–87, n = 206 | 113 (54.9) | 59 (28.6) | 19 (9.2) | 15 (7.3) |
| 1991–92, n = 224 | 126 (56.2) | 56 (25.0) | 22 (9.8) | 20 (8.9) |
| 500–749 g birthweight group | ||||
| 1979–80, n = 8 | 2 (25.0) | 2 (25.0) | 1 (12.5) | 3 (37.5) |
| 1985–87, n = 21 | 11 (52.4) | 7 (33.3) | 3 (14.3) | 0 (0.0) |
| 1991–92, n = 52 | 21 (40.4) | 17 (32.7) | 8 (15.4) | 6 (11.5) |
| 750–999 g birthweight group | ||||
| 1979–80, n = 79 | 35 (44.3) | 26 (32.9) | 9 (11.4) | 9 (11.4) |
| 1985–87, n = 185 | 102 (55.1) | 52 (28.1) | 16 (8.6) | 15 (8.1) |
| 1991–92, n = 172 | 105 (61.0) | 39 (22.7) | 14 (8.1) | 14 (8.1) |
