Abstract: Objective　To predict the neuromotor development outcome at the corrected age of 1 year by the head circumference growth rate of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods The VLBW preterm infants (birth weight < 1500 g) admitted to NICU from June 2016 to December 2017 were prospectively collected. The growth rate of head circumference during hospitalization was monitored dynamically. According to the percentiles of different growth rates of head circumference, they were divided into slow growth group, moderate growth group and rapid growth group. The follow-up was continued until the corrected age of 1 year. The neuromotor development was assessed by the Bayley scales of infant development. According to the score results, the children were divided into the developmental retardation group (≤69 points), marginal group (70-79 points) and normal group (≥80 points), and the anthropometrics and complications among three group were compared. Results　The mean gestational age of the 131 subjects was (30.29±2.06) weeks, the mean birth weight was (1280±184) g, and the average growth rate of head circumference during hospitalization was (0.49±0.19) cm/ week. The head circumference growth rates of slow growth, moderate growth group and rapid growth group were (0.12±0.05) cm/week, (0.49±0.13) cm/week and (0.81±0.03) cm/week respectively. The corrected 1-year-old mental development index (MDI) and physical development index (PDI) in moderate growth group and rapid growth group were higher than those in slow growth group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The growth rate of head circumference in both the MDI marginal group and the normal group was greater than that in the development retardation group, and the growth rate of head circumference in the PDI normal group was greater than that in the development retardation group, and differences statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions The growth rate of head circumference of VLBW infants during hospitalization was correlated with the neuromotor development outcome at the corrected age of 1 year.

Key words: very low birth weight infant;　head circumference;　neuromotor development