Neonatal outcomes of extremely preterm infants from the NICHD Neonatal Research Network.
OBJECTIVE
This report presents data from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network on care of and morbidity and mortality rates for very low birth weight infants, according to gestational age (GA).


METHODS
Perinatal/neonatal data were collected for 9575 infants of extremely low GA (22-28 weeks) and very low birth weight (401-1500 g) who were born at network centers between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2007.


RESULTS
Rates of survival to discharge increased with increasing GA (6% at 22 weeks and 92% at 28 weeks); 1060 infants died at <or=12 hours, with most early deaths occurring at 22 and 23 weeks (85% and 43%, respectively). Rates of prenatal steroid use (13% and 53%, respectively), cesarean section (7% and 24%, respectively), and delivery room intubation (19% and 68%, respectively) increased markedly between 22 and 23 weeks. Infants at the lowest GAs were at greatest risk for morbidities. Overall, 93% had respiratory distress syndrome, 46% patent ductus arteriosus, 16% severe intraventricular hemorrhage, 11% necrotizing enterocolitis, and 36% late-onset sepsis. The new severity-based definition of bronchopulmonary dysplasia classified more infants as having bronchopulmonary dysplasia than did the traditional definition of supplemental oxygen use at 36 weeks (68%, compared with 42%). More than one-half of infants with extremely low GAs had undetermined retinopathy status at the time of discharge. Center differences in management and outcomes were identified.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the majority of infants with GAs of >or=24 weeks survive, high rates of morbidity among survivors continue to be observed.
Stoll
Barbara J
BJ
Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, 2015 Uppergate Dr, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. barbara_stoll@oz.ped.emory.edu
Hansen
Nellie I
NI
Bell
Edward F
EF
Shankaran
Seetha
S
Laptook
Abbot R
AR
Walsh
Michele C
MC
Hale
Ellen C
EC
Newman
Nancy S
NS
Schibler
Kurt
K
Carlo
Waldemar A
WA
Kennedy
Kathleen A
KA
Poindexter
Brenda B
BB
Finer
Neil N
NN
Ehrenkranz
Richard A
RA
Duara
Shahnaz
S
Sánchez
Pablo J
PJ
O'Shea
T Michael
TM
Goldberg
Ronald N
RN
Van Meurs
Krisa P
KP
Faix
Roger G
RG
Phelps
Dale L
DL
Frantz
Ivan D
ID
Watterberg
Kristi L
KL
Saha
Shampa
S
Das
Abhik
A
Higgins
Rosemary D
RD
D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D054582:National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U.S.); D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States