WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: After neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment, children are at risk for neurodevelopmental problems including delayed motor function. So far this has only been studied cross-sectionally until age 7 years.
WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:We describe, in a nationwide evaluation, the longitudinal course of motor function development after neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with persisting problems up to 12 years. At risk are children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia and those with chronic lung disease. abstract OBJECTIVE: To assess longitudinally children' s motor performance 5 to 12 years after neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and to evaluate associations between clinical characteristics and motor performance.
METHODS:Two hundred fifty-four neonatal ECMO survivors in the Netherlands were tested with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children at 5, 8, and/or 12 years. Percentile scores were transformed to z scores for longitudinal evaluation (norm population mean = 0 and SD = 1). Primary diagnoses: meconium aspiration syndrome (n = 137), congenital diaphragmatic hernia (n = 49), persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (n = 36), other diagnoses (n = 32).
RESULTS:Four hundred fifty-six tests were analyzed. At 5, 8, and 12 years motor performance was normal in 73.7, 74.8, and 40.5%, respectively (vs 85% expected based on reference values; P , .001 at all ages). In longitudinal analyses mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) z scores were -0.42 (-0.55 to -0.28), -0.25 (-0.40 to -0.10) and -1.00 (-1.26 to -0.75) at 5, 8, and 12 years, respectively. Mean score at 8 years was significantly higher than at 5 years (difference 0.16, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.30), and mean score at 12 years was significantly lower than at both other ages (differences -0.59 and -0.75; 95% CI -0.33 to -0.84 and -0.49 to -1.00, respectively). Children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia encountered problems at all ages. The presence of chronic lung disease was negatively related with outcome.CONCLUSIONS: Motor problems in neonatal ECMO survivors persist throughout childhood and become more obvious with time. Pediatrics 2014;134:e427-e435 AUTHORS: