Prenatal risk factors for cot death in very preterm and small for gestational age infants.
In a nationwide prospective survey on very preterm and very-low-birthweight infants in The Netherlands, the incidence of cot death in infants discharged alive was 15%. The postnatal age at death in these infants did not differ significantly from age at death in other cot death infants. Using a case-control design, possible risk factors associated with cot death were identified: lower maternal age at first pregnancy; maternal smoking during pregnancy; hypothermia of the infant immediately after birth; decreased number of white blood cells and thrombocytes in the infant on the first day of life. Intrauterine hypoxia is hypothesized as the entity common to these factors.
Department of Pediatrics, Wilhelmina Hospital, Assen, The Netherlands.
H
H
Wierenga
R
R
Brand
T
T
Geudeke
H P
HP
van Geijn
H
H
van der Harten
S P
SP
Verloove-Vanhorick
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D007902:Length of Stay; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D010976:Platelet Count; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015430:Weight Gain