Mortality and morbidity in extremely preterm infants (22 to 26 weeks of gestation): Austria 1999-2001.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the mortality and morbidity for extremely preterm infants with a gestational age from 22 to 26 weeks. All infants were born in Austria during the years 1999-2001.


METHODS
Data were collected from 16 neonatal intensive care units in Austria. Main outcome criteria were mortality, the rates of chronic lung disease (CLD) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP, stage > or =3) to determine the short-term outcome; the rate of cerebral palsy (CP) at the corrected age of twelve months to assess the long-term outcome.


RESULTS
Overall, 796 preterm infants with a gestational age less than 27 weeks were born in Austria and 581 (73%) were registered as live-born infants. Of those live born, 508 (87%) were analyzed. The mortality rates were 83%, 76%, 43%, 26% and 13% for 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 weeks' gestation, respectively. The rates of CLD were 33% (22 weeks), 36% (23 weeks), 42% (24 weeks), 31% (25 weeks) and 22% (26 weeks). The rates of ROP of stage > or =3 were 0% (22 weeks), 29% (23 weeks), 23% (24 weeks), 18% (25 weeks) and 10% (26 weeks). The rates of CP at the corrected age of 12 months were 33%, 50%, 33%, 26% and 25% for 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 weeks' gestation, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this national study are in accordance with the international literature: mortality and morbidity increased with decreasing gestational age.
Weber
Christina
C
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Weninger
Manfred
M
Klebermass
Katrin
K
Reiter
Gernot
G
Wiesinger-Eidenberger
Gabriele
G
Brandauer
Mathias
M
Kraschl
Raimund
R
Lingitz
Karl
K
Grassl-Jurek
Renate
R
Sterniste
Walter
W
Balluch
Bernd
B
Kolmer
Micha
M
Bruckner
Robert
R
Schweintzger
Gerolf
G
Salzer
Hans
H
Rath
Irene
I
Kubitsch
Peter
P
Zissler
Werner
W
Müller
Wilhelm
W
Urlesberger
Berndt
B
D017677:Age Distribution; D001724:Birth Weight; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000401:mortality*; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate