Neonatal survival and disability rate at age 18 months for infants born between 23 and 28 weeks of gestation.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to determine gestational age-specific outcomes of infants born in a period of surfactant use.


METHODS
All 465 consecutive births between 23 and 28 weeks' gestation in a tertiary center from 1987 to 1992 were analyzed prospectively. At 18 months' corrected age, 217 of 254 (85%) survivors were evaluated.


RESULTS
From 1987 and 1988 to 1991 and 1992 there was an increase in survival for infants born at 24 weeks (from 0% to 33% p = 0.17), 25 to 26 weeks (38% to 71%, p < 0.005), and 27 to 28 weeks (66% to 84%, p < 0.05). At each weekly interval from 24 to 28 weeks of gestation the respective incidence of normality was 44%, 71%, 57%, 76% and 72% (not significant) and the respective mean developmental quotient was 91 +/- 17, 89 +/- 25, 90 +/- 24, 96 +/- 15 and 96 +/- 14 (not significant).


CONCLUSIONS
Gestational age was strongly associated with outcome in terms of survival. Overall, 70% of children followed up were developing within the normal range.
Lefebvre
F
F
Neonatal Service and Research Center, Hôpital Ste-Justine, Université de Montréal, Canada.
Glorieux
J
J
St-Laurent-Gagnon
T
T
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate