The relationship of birth weight and maternal education to developmental outcomes of low birth weight infants

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between specific infant and maternal characteristics with the developmental outcome of low birth weight infants. Birth weight was statistically significant in relation to the Mental Developmental Index (p =.001) and the Psychomotor Developmental Index for chronologic age (p =.023). Birth weight predicted 25% of the variance in infant cognitive development and 24% in infant motor development. There was no statistically significant positive correlation between maternal education and infant cognitive developmental outcome. There was a statistically significant correlation between: number of hospital days (MDI, P =.006; PDI P =.010); number of days on oxygen (MDI, p =.006; PDI p =.037); gestational age (MDI p =.006); and infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (MDI p =.020; PDI, p =.020) in relation to developmental outcome. These findings support the premise that co-morbidity of infants appears to increase the risk of developmental delay.