Mortality and morbidity of very low birth weight newborn infants assisted in Buenos Aires public hospitals.
The Neonatal Network of Public Hospitals in the city of Buenos Aires closely monitors the progress of newborn infants with a birth weight less than 1500 g (very low birth weight, VLBW) because it largely contributes to neonatal morbidity and mortality.



To analyze the morbidity and mortality of VLBW infants and determine their riskadjusted mortality using the score of the South American Neonatal Network (Red Neonatal de los países del Conosur de América, NEOCOSUR).



Live infants born in the network hospitals with a birth weight of 500-1499 g between 2008 and 2010 were included in the study. Data was recorded prospectively using a standardized methodology. Mortality, morbidity and risk-adjusted mortality rates according to the NEOCOSUR score were estimated. Results. There were 92,698 infants born during the study period. Of them, 1.26% weighed less than 1500 g at birth. Only 40.4% of these received a full course of antenatal corticosteroids. A total of 62.7% of these developed respiratory distress syndrome, 5.4% enterocolitis, 10.1% intracranial hemorrhage, and 13.4% severe retinopathy. Early sepsis was observed in 5.6%, and late sepsis in 9.6%. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia was present in 10.7% of the cases. Neonatal mortality was 29.2%, and the adjusted mortality with no major malformations was 25.4%. Survival of infants with a birth weight of =750 g and a gestational age of =26 weeks was 50%. The observed/expected mortality ratio was 1.04, with a large variability.



The percentage of VLBW infants who received antenatal corticosteroids was low. The incidence of sepsis and the rate of infants with severe retinopathy of prematurity are high. The risk-adjusted mortality is higher than expected.
Hospital General de Agudos Dr. J.A. Fernández, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Jorge
J
Tavosnanska
Irene M
IM
Carreras
Diana
D
Fariña
Guillermo
G
Luchtenberg
María Luisa
ML
Celadilla
Marcela
M
Celotto
Norma
N
Ferreiro
Jorge
J
González
Isaac
I
Grois
Jorge
J
Lamelas
Mario
M
Mardyks
Abel
A
Menalled
Mariana
M
Panzitta
Noemí
N
Petruccelli
Claudio
C
Solana
Luis
L
Somaruga
Sandra
S
Caparrós
Alberto
A
Capriata
Daniel
D
Gangi
Nora
N
Goyeneche
Paula
P
Molina
Delia
D
Nagel
Juan
J
Orsini
Adriana L
AL
Piñón
Elio
E
Rojas
Liliana
L
Roldán
Cecilia
C
Rubio
Marta
M
Russmann
Mario
M
Siniscalco
D001118:Argentina; D005260:Female; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014504:Urban Health