CONCLUSION
This study has shown a CNS dysfunctionality in term LGA neonates. Using a non-invasive, cheap, and novel electrophysiological technique –the so-called frequency-following response (FFR)–, specific deficits in the encoding of the fundamental frequency of speech, were disclosed. Thus, this study revealed for the first time perinatal CNS consequences of being born LGA. The possibility to record the FFR in the maternity ward during the first days of life, with a routine EEG/ABR system, allows the early identification of CNS dysfunctionalities in LGA neonates. The FFR could become part of a screening plan leading to an early intervention program. The detection of a disrupted FFR could trigger the derivation to a multidisciplinary expert group who could individualize a stimulation program and to monitor the progress. Follow-up studies are needed to determine the extent of these dysfunctionalities and their predictive value on the infant’s neurodevelopment.