An Investigation of Neonatal Mortality and its Main Risk Factors in Hospitalized Late Preterm Infants

Abstract

Background: Late preterm infants are born at a gestational age between 34+1 and 36+6 weeks, they have higher morbidity and mortality rates than term infants (gestational age ≥37 weeks). Methods: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study the medical records of late preterm infant hospitalized in Fatemieh hospital, Hamadan- Iran, were extracted during a one-year period (March 2018– March 2019). Demographic information including sex, birth weight, causes of hospitalization and complications of the disease, length of stay, and outcome were assessed. Results: Out of 150 infants studied in this research, 52% were female and 48% were male. Mean weight was 2775±572 gr with mean admission days of 9.1±4.7 days. Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) was the most common cause of admission (80.7%). Neonatal mortality rate was overall 7.3%. According to logistic regression, need for resuscitation and ventilation, central nervous system (CNS) involvement (seizure) (P≤0.001), congenital heart disease (P≤0.001), need to surfactant administration (P=0.034), pneumonia (P=0.018), feeding problems (P≤0.001), hypoglycemia (P=0.048) and septicemia (P≤0.001), could all possibly correlate with the occurrence of death in late-preterm infants.Conclusion: Neonatal mortality is high in late preterm infants and can be predicted by the need to intensive supports for respiratory distress syndrome, CNS involvement, congenital heart disease, and septicemia.