Factors affecting nursery survival of very low birth weight infants.
398 infants with birthweight (BW) 500-1500 g born from January 2 1982 to December 1983 were studied to determine incidence and survival rate by BW and gestational age (GA) categories and to determine causes of death and factors influencing mortality. 58% of the group survived. Factors other than those in the perinatal and postnatal period did not significantly influence survival. Infants with BW below 1000 g delivered by elective C-section had better survival than those delivered vaginally. Survival increased progressively with increasing BW and GA categories with GA more than BW being the limiting factor. Eleven (6.6%) of the deaths in the very low birth weight infants occurred during the nursery period after 28 days of age. These deaths would not have been addressed in the neonatal mortality.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California Medical School, Los Angeles.
A J
AJ
Teberg
S
S
Hotrakitya
P Y
PY
Wu
S Y
SY
Yeh
T
T
Hoppenbrouwers
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001344:Autopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies