The neurodevelopmental abilities of very-low-birthweight children in Trinidad, West Indies

Neurodevelopmental abilities of 33 very-low-birthweight (VLBW) Trinidadian children and randomly selected matched pairs of classmates who were of normal birth weight were tested in 1998 atages 68-88 months, using the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities. The 1 min Apgar score was significantly lower in the VLBW children, 6.5 (SD 1.0) versus 7.7 (SD 1.27), P≤0.001. Mean scores on the McCarthy Scales for study and control children were: These differences may refkect a delay in the neurodevelopment of these children. However, the effect of childrereating practices and the inappropiratness of the test for the population cannot be ruled out.