title: Outcome of infants born at 21-28 weeks' gestation in an inner-city hospital over an eight-year period.
abstract: Outcome of all live births at 21-28 weeks' gestation (GA) and/or <1250 g birth weight (BW) over an eight-year period were reviewed and compared with other outcome data. Causes of mortality were ascertained for all deaths. Significant morbidities were reviewed among <25 weeks GA and/or <800 g survivors over a two-year period. NICU admissions log book, monthly morbidity-mortality reports, medical records and autopsy findings were used to obtain outcome data. A total of 23,046 infants were born alive during the study period, including 339 (1.47%) at 21-28 weeks or <1250 g. Eighty of the 339 (23.6%) died. Of these 80 deaths 32.5% were extremely immature, 15% died from RDS, 15% from infection, 10% from pulmonary hemorrhage and 8% had lethal malformations. Survival outcome in each weight group except <500 g were similar to that reported by the Pediatrix Medical Group (2003-04) and 2002 US National Vital Statistics. Of the extremely low gestational age infants, 79% survived to discharge, and among these, the incidence of serious neuro-morbidity, severe chronic lung disease or retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment was 52%; 18.5% had more than one major morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics/Neonatology, Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, Bronx, NY, USA. Muhammad.Aslam@childrens.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aslam
authors.forename: Zehra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Panjvani
authors.forename: Ben K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Rajegowda
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population