Affiliations: [a] Pediatrics Department, Section of Neonatology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| [b] Pediatrics Department, Section of Neonatology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| [c] McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Reem Amer, MD, Assistant Professor, McMaster University, Section of Neonatology, Pediatrics department, Hamilton ON, L8N3Z5-Canada. Tel.: +1 2045104837; E-mail: amerr3@mcmaster.ca.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE:To assess the effect of cardiovascular medications on the neurodevelopment of preterm infants, as measured by calculated cumulative time of vasoactive–inotropic score (VISct). METHODS:A retrospective study was conducted on preterm infants who developed significant hypotension defined as a mean BP more than 2SDs below the mean for GA and received treatment with duration > 6 hours for each hypotensive episode, we calculated the vasoactive inotropic score (VIS) and cumulative exposure to cardiovascular medications over time (VISct). The composite Bayley III was reported from the high-risk follow-up clinic for the surviving infants between 18 to 21 months corrected age. RESULTS:VISct was significantly higher in infants with abnormal neurodevelopment. Cognitive Bayley was the most affected component with median (IQR) VISct 882.5(249,2047) versus 309(143,471) (p-value 0.012), followed by language function with VISct 786(261,1563.5), versus 343(106.75,473.75) (p-value 0.016) when those with Bayley III <85 were compared with those with normal Bayley IIIs. CONCLUSION:High VISct scores may have negative effect on cognitive and language neurodevelopmental outcomes.
