Mortality, Morbidity, Growth and Development of Babies Weighing 501–1000 Grams and 1001–1500 Grams at Birth

Abstract

During the five-year period, January 1980 to December 1984, 149 babies of extremely low birthweight (ELBW; 501-1,000 g) and 296 of very low birthweight (VLBW; 1,001-1,500 g) were admitted to King's College Hospital, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The survival rates were 51.7% and 82.8% respectively. There were more peri- and postnatal problems in the ELBW babies than the VLBW babies and these differences were highly significant. All surviving babies born between January 1980 and December 1982 were followed up until aged two. The ELBW children had a higher incidence of neuro-developmental sequelae than those of VLBW especially when both major and minor problems were considered. Their developmental quotients were lower at one and two years. Significantly more ELBW children were of short stature and low weight (less than 3rd centile). By two years of age the differences between ELBW and VLBW children in stature and mean DQ had lessened.

Neonatal complications of extreme prematurity in mechanically ventilated infants

“…We included a greater number of infants born at less than 24 weeks of gestation, in whom mortality is higher, than the previous study [6] and this is likely to have influenced our results. Our infants were all ventilated and thus likely to be sicker than those included in earlier studies which reported mortality rates of (55% in 1976-1980 [12]; 48% in 1980-1984 [2]; and 44% in 1981-1985 [12]. These data suggest that survival rates of even very immature infants are continuing to increase slowly with time.…”

“…It is difficult to compare this figure to those reported from different series which have included different study populations. When related to birth weight, the reported incidence of CLD varies from 5% [2] to 75% [19]. Our infants were all very immature and ventilated and thus the highest risk group, we therefore feel our incidence is encouragingly low.…”

“…It seems likely that infants born at less than or equal to 28 weeks gestation, who require respiratory support, may be at higher risk of both mortality and morbidity. Unfortunately, to date this hypothesis has not been tested and although there are some data [2,12] on the outcome of very immature infants, no study has concentrated exclusively on infants born very preterm who have required mechanical ventilation. We have now therefore assessed the neonatal outcome of such a group of patients since these results have important implications for counselling parents and determining the intensive care needs of such patients in the future.…”

Study of Premature Babies in Relation to Its Outcome and Antenatal Risk Factors at General Hospital Sangli

“…5,6 While in a study conducted by Mehta B. et al 7 found overall mortality was 17% and in a study by Singh Uma et al 1 overall mortality was 12.7% . Common causes of mortality were RDS (85.4 %), Sepsis (10.4 %) and Aspiration pneumonia (4.1 %).…”

Oral‐motor dysfunction in children who fail to thrive: organic or non‐organic?

“…Cases were limited to term (≥ 38 weeks), singleton deliveries, with no known intrauterine growth retardation (birthweights ≤ 3rd centile on charts standardized for length of gestation, sex, ordinal position, maternal height, and mid-pregnancy weight [Tanner and Thompson 1970]). Preterm and low-birthweight babies were excluded because of the known association with below average postnatal growth (Brothwood et al 1987). Cases of faltering growth were defined as having a weight for age ≤ 3rd centile, with this growth trajectory having been sustained for at least 3 months or more (Tanner and Whitehouse 1984).…”