Risk of sensory deficits drops with rising gestational age

(HealthDay)—Compared to full-term children, there is an increased incidence of hearing loss and visual impairment among moderately- and late-preterm infants, according to a study published online July 17 in Pediatrics.

Mikko Hirvonen, M.D., from the Central Finland Health Care District in Jyväskylä, and colleagues compared the incidences of sensory impairments among very-preterm (VP; <32 + 0/7 weeks), moderately-preterm (MP; 32 + 0/7 to 33 + 6/7 weeks), late-preterm (LP; 34 + 0/7 to 36 + 6/7 weeks), and term infants (≥37 weeks) using data from a national registry (1,018,256 infants).

The researchers found that the incidences of sensory impairments decreased with advancing gestational age at birth (P < 0.001). Intracranial hemorrhage and convulsions were associated with increased risks of hearing loss and visual impairment. There was an increased risk of hearing loss with VP (odds ratio [OR], 2.34) and LP (OR, 1.26) births, as well as an increased risk of visual impairment with VP (OR, 1.94), MP (OR, 1.42), and LP (OR, 1.31) births.

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