Comparison on cognitive performance among schoolchildren born prematurely according to the presence of intracranial hemorrhage in the neonatal period / Comparação do desempenho cognitivo entre escolares nascidos prematuros segundo presença de hemorragia intracraniana no período neonatal

Abstract Objectives: to compare the cognitive performance of schoolchildren born prematurely according to the presence of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) during the neonatal period. Methods: a cross-sectional cohort study of schoolchildren between the ages of 6-8 years old, born prematurely with or without a history of neonatal ICH. Between January and December 2015, some children were followed up at the outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital and underwent a cognitive evaluation by using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Third Edition (WISC-III) and they were divided into two groups: those with no history of ICH (control group) and those with ICH (case group), confirmed by a transfontanelar ultrasound in the prenatal period. Results: 39 schoolchildren were included, 21 cases and 18 controls. There was no difference in gestational age or chronological age at evaluation between the groups. Also there was no significant difference in subtest scores between the groups. Conclusions: WISC-III evaluated the cognitive performance in children, born preterm, aged 6-8 years old, and had neonatal ICH did not differ from those of their peers without a history of ICH. These findings suggest that, in preterm infants, a neonatal diagnosis of ICH may not be associated with cognitive performance at school age and this should be investigated through a longitudinal study.

Resumo Objetivos: comparar o desempenho cognitivo de escolares, nascidos prematuramente, segundo a presença de hemorragia intracraniana (HIC) no período neonatal. Métodos: corte transversal de uma coorte de escolares com idade entre seis e oito anos que nasceram prematuramente e apresentaram ou não HIC, realizado entre janeiro e dezembro de 2015, acompanhados em ambulatório de seguimento de hospital terciário e submetidos à avaliação cognitiva, através da Escala de Inteligência Wechsler para Crianças-3ª edição (WISC-III), que foram divididos em dois grupos: sem HIC (grupo controle - GC) e com HIC (grupo de casos - GH) comprovada através de exame ultrassonográfico transfontanelar no período perinatal. Resultados: foram incluídos 39 escolares, 18 no GC e 21 no GH. Não se observou dife-rença entre os grupos quanto à idade gestacional e idade cronológica na qual eles foram avaliados. Não foi encontrada diferença estatística entre os grupos estudados nos valores dos subtestes. Conclusões: o desempenho cognitivo de crianças nascidas pré-termo que tiveram HIC não difere daquele que não a apresentaram quando avaliadas pelo WISC-III na faixa etária de seis a oito anos. Sugere-se que o diagnóstico neonatal de HIC pode não estar associado ao desempenho cognitivo de prematuros, na idade escolar, o que deverá ser investigado através de estudo longitudinal.

Brain changes on magnetic resonance imaging in school-age children who had been preterm infants with intracranial hemorrhage / Alterações cerebrais na ressonância magnética em escolares que nasceram prematuramente e tiveram hemorragia intracraniana

Abstract Objective: To determine whether preterm infants diagnosed with intracranial hemorrhage (by transfontanellar ultrasound) at birth have cerebral lesions that are detectable by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) upon reaching school age. Materials and Methods: MRI scans of the brain were obtained in 22 school-age children. Fifteen had presented intracranial hemorrhage at birth, and seven had not. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) for the occurrence of brain alterations detectable by MRI and the kappa index for discrepancies among the radiological reports. Results: The children without previous intracranial hemorrhage presented normal MRI findings. Of the 15 children with previous intracranial hemorrhage, 6 (40%) presented brain alterations on MRI: isolated ventricular alteration (dilation and asymmetry), in 2 (13.3%); and ventricular asymmetry accompanied by parenchymal lesion, in 4 (26.7%). The nine remaining children with previous intracranial hemorrhage (60%) presented normal MRI findings. The children with previous intracranial hemorrhage were more likely to present ventricular alteration (OR = 7.8) and parenchymal lesions (OR = 5.4). Conclusion: Ventricular and parenchymal brain alterations detected by MRI suggest isolated morphologic alterations that do not result in neurological impairment detectable on physical examination in school-age children.

Resumo Objetivo: Investigar se ocorrem lesões cerebrais detectáveis na ressonância magnética (RM) cerebral em escolares que foram prematuros e tiveram hemorragia intracraniana diagnosticada pela ultrassonografia transfontanelar ao nascer. Materiais e Métodos: Foi realizada RM cerebral em 22 escolares, sendo 15 com história de hemorragia intracraniana e 7 não. Calculou-se a odds ratio (OR) de ocorrer alterações cerebrais detectáveis na RM cerebral e o valor de kappa para avaliar discrepâncias entre laudos radiológicos. Resultados: Os escolares sem hemorragia intracraniana apresentaram RM cerebral normal. Dos 15 pacientes com hemorragia intracraniana, 6 (40%) tiveram alteração na RM cerebral na idade escolar, sendo 2 (13,3%) com alteração ventricular isolada e 4 (26,7%) com assimetria ventricular associada a lesão parenquimatosa. Nove escolares (60%) com hemorragia intracraniana apresentaram RM cerebral normal. Os escolares com hemorragia intracraniana tiveram maior chance de apresentar alteração ventricular (OR = 7,8) e lesão parenquimatosa (OR = 5,4) na RM cerebral. Conclusão: As alterações ventriculares e parenquimatosas detectadas na RM cerebral sugerem alterações morfológicas isoladas, que não constituem comprometimento neurológico detectável ao exame físico na idade escolar.

Brain changes on magnetic resonance imaging in school-age children who had been preterm infants with intracranial hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether preterm infants diagnosed with intracranial hemorrhage (by transfontanellar ultrasound) at birth have cerebral lesions that are detectable by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) upon reaching school age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MRI scans of the brain were obtained in 22 school-age children. Fifteen had presented intracranial hemorrhage at birth, and seven had not. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) for the occurrence of brain alterations detectable by MRI and the kappa index for discrepancies among the radiological reports. RESULTS: The children without previous intracranial hemorrhage presented normal MRI findings. Of the 15 children with previous intracranial hemorrhage, 6 (40%) presented brain alterations on MRI: isolated ventricular alteration (dilation and asymmetry), in 2 (13.3%); and ventricular asymmetry accompanied by parenchymal lesion, in 4 (26.7%). The nine remaining children with previous intracranial hemorrhage (60%) presented normal MRI findings. The children with previous intracranial hemorrhage were more likely to present ventricular alteration (OR = 7.8) and parenchymal lesions (OR = 5.4). CONCLUSION: Ventricular and parenchymal brain alterations detected by MRI suggest isolated morphologic alterations that do not result in neurological impairment detectable on physical examination in school-age children.

OBJETIVO: Investigar se ocorrem lesões cerebrais detectáveis na ressonância magnética (RM) cerebral em escolares que foram prematuros e tiveram hemorragia intracraniana diagnosticada pela ultrassonografia transfontanelar ao nascer. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foi realizada RM cerebral em 22 escolares, sendo 15 com história de hemorragia intracraniana e 7 não. Calculou-se a odds ratio (OR) de ocorrer alterações cerebrais detectáveis na RM cerebral e o valor de kappa para avaliar discrepâncias entre laudos radiológicos. RESULTADOS: Os escolares sem hemorragia intracraniana apresentaram RM cerebral normal. Dos 15 pacientes com hemorragia intracraniana, 6 (40%) tiveram alteração na RM cerebral na idade escolar, sendo 2 (13,3%) com alteração ventricular isolada e 4 (26,7%) com assimetria ventricular associada a lesão parenquimatosa. Nove escolares (60%) com hemorragia intracraniana apresentaram RM cerebral normal. Os escolares com hemorragia intracraniana tiveram maior chance de apresentar alteração ventricular (OR = 7,8) e lesão parenquimatosa (OR = 5,4) na RM cerebral. CONCLUSÃO: As alterações ventriculares e parenquimatosas detectadas na RM cerebral sugerem alterações morfológicas isoladas, que não constituem comprometimento neurológico detectável ao exame físico na idade escolar.