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Outcome of Very Low Birth Weight Infants Over 3 Years Report From an Iranian Center
Afjeh, Seyyed-Abolfazl; Sabzehei, Mohammad-Kazem; Fallahi, Minoo & Esmaili, Fatemeh
Abstract
Objective:Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants are at high risk for morbidity and mortality. This article
determines the frequency of disease, rate od survival, complications and risk factors for morbidity and
mortality in VLBW neonates admitted to a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Mahdieh Hospital in
Tehran.
Methods:This cross-sectional retrospective study was performed from April 2007 to March 2010 on all
hospitalized VLBW neonates. Relevant pre- and peri-natal data up to the time of discharge from the hospital
or death, including complications during the course of hospitalization, were collected from the case notes,
documented on a pre-designed questionnaire and analyzed.
Findings:Out of 13197 neonates, 564 (4.3%) were VLBW with 51.4% males. Mean gestational age was
29.6±2.5 weeks; mean birth weight 1179±257 grams. Mean birth weight, gestational age and Apgar scores
were significantly higher in babies who survived than in those who died, (1275±189 vs. 944±253 grams;
30.5±2.2 vs. 27.5±2 weeks and 6.9±1.7 vs. 5±2.1 respectively, P<0.001 in all instances). Overall survival was
70.9%; in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) newborns this figure was 33.3% rising to 84.1% in infants
weighing between 1001-1500 grams. Respiratory failure resulting from RDS in ELBW babies was the major
factor leading to death. Need for mechanical ventilation, pulmonary hemorrhage and gastro-intestinal
bleeding were also significant predictive factors for mortality.
Conclusion:Birth weight and mechanical ventilation are the major factors predicting VLBW survival.
Keywords
Neonatal Mortality; Low Birth Weight; Very Low Birth Weight; Infant; Risk Factors; NICU
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