PEDIATRICS Vol. 98 No. 3 September 1996, pp. 571-584
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SECTION ON PERINATAL PEDIATRICS 1996 ANNUAL MEETING PROGRAM

Background: Our NICU has seen increasing numbers of infants who are products of higher order multiple gestations, especially triplets. Presumably, this is the result of more active infertility services. This study was designed to evaluate the growth and development of these low birth weight high order multiple birth (i.e., triplets, quads) infants relative to singleton low birth weight controls from 6 months through 24 months corrected age (CA). Methods: Infants were selected from our NICU follow-up clinic. Twenty-seven infants (products of 9 pregnancies: 23 triplets and 4 quads) were identified for inclusion. Matched pair singleton controls were identified by matching gender and gestational age ± one week of the multiple. All infants were seen at approximately 6 months CA and then, due to data collection in progress, fewer numbers were recorded at 12 and 24 months CA. At each visit, information from a series of body measurements, a physical examination, occupational and physical therapy evaluation, and Bayley Scales of Infant Development (either BSID or BSID II) MDI and PDI were recorded. The mean gestational age of the multiple infants was 29.8 weeks (range 25-34) and birth weight 1240 grams (range 630-1743). There were 13 males and 14 females, and all patients were Caucasian. Twenty-one of 27 patients had married parents and 21 of 27 had private insurance. Multiples were hospitalized for a mean of 51 days and on IMV for a mean of 15 days. There were no significant demographic differences between the multiples and the control populations. Results: The following chart describes the populations at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months CA: