The association of peripheral nerve conduction velocity and conceptional age in premature
infants is well established. However, the impact of premature birth on the rate of
maturation of peripheral nerves is unclear. In this study a group of 119 premature
infants and 32 term infants had nerve conduction velocity determinations. The correlation
of velocity and conceptional age is significant. There appears to be no effect upon
nerve conduction velocity by the occurrence of prenatal or postnatal events. It is
unclear whether extrauterine rates of increase of velocity in prematures are comparable
to intrauterine rates, but testing of prematures after they have reached their expected
date of birth shows them to have identical mean values to term infants tested at term.
Peripheral nerve maturation - nerve conduction velocity - prematurity - perinatal
events
