Obstetrical factors for death and brain injury among extremely-low-birth-weight infants.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the obstetrical risk factors for death and brain injury among extremely-low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants (birth weight <1000 g).


METHODS
Study subjects were 121 ELBW infants born at a single tertiary perinatal center. Death among ELBW infants was considered to have occurred when subjects died within their corrected age of 40 weeks. In the sub-analysis of the 91 ELBW infants who survived their corrected age of 40 weeks, brain injury was defined as present when criteria based on ultrasound and/or MRI were substantiated.


RESULTS
A birth weight of <800 g [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 14.57; 95% confidence interval (CI), 4.72-56.98], a younger gestational age of <26 weeks (adjusted OR, 4.64; 95% CI, 1.60-14.90), and a low Apgar score of <5 (adjusted OR, 3.88; 95% CI, 1.32-12.45) were significantly associated with death among ELBW infants. A maternal age of 30 years or older (adjusted OR, 3.71; 95% CI, 1.19-13.35) was only associated with brain injury among surviving ELBW infants.


CONCLUSIONS
Obstetrical care should be aimed at preventing or predicting premature delivery especially at <26 weeks of gestation.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Tatsuya
T
Fukami
Toshiyuki
T
Yoshizato
Toshiko
T
Mori
Ko
K
Yukitake
Yoshihiro
Y
Miyake
Tatsuhiko
T
Kawarabayashi
D001724:Birth Weight; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012307:Risk Factors