Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the impact of extrauterine growth retardation and the protein, lipid, energy, carbohydrate, human milk intake in the first month of life on neurodevelopment at corrected 18-month age in premature infants by using Bayley Scales of Infant Development.

Material and Method: Sixty-two preterm infants were included in the study. Antenatal, natal, postnatal characteristics including nutrition and anth-ropometrics were obtained from their charts. Premature infants brought for routine examination at corrected 18 month age were evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development.

Results: Twenty-six patients (%41,9) were extrauterine growth retardation at discharge. The weight of 19 infants (%30,6) were under 10th percentile at corrected 18 months of age. Mean cognitive score was 83,1±10,7 and mean motor score was 85,0±13,6 in Bayley-ll Screening test. Nine patients were under 70 points in both scales. The scroes cognitive and motor scales of infants who were extrauterine growth retardation at discharge or under 10th percentile according to the weight charts were lower than the scores of infants who were not extrauterine growth retardation. It was observed that the mean lipid intake in the first week and the first 2 weeks was lower in the extrauterine growth retardation group (p =0.029 and p =0.010), respectively.

Conclusion: Although there are many factors affecting neurodevelopment, extrauterine growth retardation appears to be an important factor affecting neurodevelopment.