title: Mortality and morbidity of very preterm infants in Romania: how are we doing?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Birth before 28 weeks of gestation is associated with high mortality and morbidity. The purpose of this study was to examine characteristics associated with in-hospital mortality and morbidity among extremely low-birthweight neonates admitted to three tertiary care centers in Romania.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in three Romanian hospitals with level-III neonatal intensive care units. We studied singleton live births at the established Romanian limit of viability (i.e., 25-28 weeks' gestational age) born between January 2007 and December 2010 (n = 227). Infants born in non-level-III facilities transferred to these three centers were included in our study (n = 39). Descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses were used to describe the population and examine outcomes and risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, 62 neonates (27.3%) were delivered at 25 weeks, 56 (24.7%) were delivered at 26 weeks, 56 (24.7%) at 27 weeks, and 53 (23.3%) at 28 weeks. Overall in-hospital mortality was 65% (from 85% at 25 weeks to 35% at 28 weeks). The rates for major morbidities were necrotizing enterocolitis 8.8%, bronchopulmonary dysplasia 12.5%, and retinopathy of prematurity (stage higher than 2) 26.2%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During 2007-2010, in-hospital survival of infants admitted to three neonatal intensive care units in Romania was 35% and ranged from 14% at 25 weeks to 64% at 28 weeks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tirgu Mures, Tirgu Mures.
authors.forename: Laura Mihaela
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Suciu
authors.forename: Lucian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Puscasiu
authors.forename: Bela
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Szabo
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cucerea
authors.forename: Maria Livia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ognean
authors.forename: Ioan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Oprea
authors.forename: Edward F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D012383:Romania
keywords: low-gestational-age infants; neonatal intensive care units; neonatal morbidity; neonatal mortality; perinatal interventions