title: Comparison of mortality and morbidity in multiple versus singleton very low birth weight infants in a neonatal intensive care unit.
abstract: Multiple births in Korea have been increased recently as a consequence of increased infertility due to advancing maternal age at first birth, and increased use of assisted reproductive technology. Multiples suffer higher mortality and morbidity than singletons. However, it is not clear whether preterm multiple very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) suffer higher mortality and morbidity than comparable singletons. We evaluated 266 singleton and 113 multiple VLBWI to determine whether mortality and morbidity in multiple VLBWI were higher than those in comparable singletons. The rate of in vitro fertilization and cesarean section were significantly higher in multiples than singletons. The total and the adjusted mortality with gestational age and birth weight were not significantly different between the two groups. Maternal age and the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome, patent ductus arteriosus, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, intracranial hemorrhage (grade> or =3), cystic periventricular leukomalacia, and retinopathy of prematurity (stage> or =3) were not significantly different between the two groups, and the incidence of abnormal brainstem auditory evoked potential was higher among the singletons. These results suggest that multiple VLBWI do not suffer higher mortality or morbidity than comparable singletons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kye Hyang
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Soo Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Sung Hye
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Kil
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jong Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Chang Won
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jae Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Yun Sil
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Won Soon
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D007723:Korea; D008423:Maternal Age; D009017:Morbidity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D012189:Retrospective Studies