[Mortality and morbidity of low-birth-weight infants. Current prognosis and future perspectives].
In a retrospective epidemiologic study conducted from January 1996 to December 2002, 2555 low-birth-weight infants (less than 2500 g) were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of E Herriot Hospital in Lyon, France. Very low birth weight (795 infants) was defined as a birth weight below 1500 g. The total mortality rate among these latter infants was 8%. The mortality rate was less than 25% among infants with a gestational age of at least 25 weeks. Neonatal morbidity mainly consisted of respiratory distress syndrome and cerebral hemorrhage. Sequelae at age 2 years (corrected) affected less than 10% of surviving in very-low-birth-weight infants. Gestational age is thus an important predictor of survival and functional outcome in very-low-birth-weight infants.
Salle
Bernard
B
Service de néonatologie et réanimation néonatale, Hôpital E Herriot 69437 Lyon Cedex 03. bernardsalle@wanadoo.fr
Picaud
Jean-Charles
JC
Lopilloune
Alexandre
A
Claris
Olivier
O
D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D011379:Prognosis; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors