Neonatal morbidity and mortality of late-preterm babies.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze neonatal morbidity and mortality rates of late-preterms and to compare them with their term counterparts in a tertiary care unit in Turkey.


METHODS
The study included 252 late-preterm newborns (34 0/7--36 6/7 weeks' gestational age), admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the first 24 h of life between January 2005 and June 2007 and 252 newborns born in the same hospital in the same period of time. Babies with major congenital and/or chromosomal abnormalities were excluded.


RESULTS
The mortality rate was 2.3% in late-preterms. None of the term newborns died. Compared to terms, late-preterms were 11 times more likely to develop respiratory distress, 14 times more likely to have feeding problems, 11 times more likely to exhibit hypoglycemia, 3 times more likely to be readmitted and 2.5 times more likely to be rehospitalized. Late-prematurity, being large for gestational age, male gender, and cesarean delivery were significant risk factors for respiratory distress.


CONCLUSIONS
Late-preterms have significantly higher risk of morbidity and mortality compared with term newborns. Greater concern and attention is required for the care of this ignored, at-risk population.
Kalyoncu
Ozlem
O
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Ondokuz Mayis University, Kurupelit, Samsun, Turkey.
Aygün
Canan
C
Cetinoğlu
Erhan
E
Küçüködük
Sükrü
S
D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies