Neonatal outcomes of very preterm infants from a neonatal intensive care center.
BACKGROUND
Information about clinical outcomes of very preterm (VPT) infants in tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) setting is scant in China. This study aimed to investigate the mortality and morbidity of VPT infants admitted to BaYi Children's Hospital, which serves as a NICU referral center for the city of Beijing, China.


METHODS
Retrospectively collected perinatal/neonatal data on all admissions of infants born at <32 weeks of gestational age and subsequently admitted to the VPTNICU from clinical records between October 2010 and September 2011.


RESULTS
Totally 729 infants were identified. 90% of VPT infants were outborn. The overall survival of the infants to discharge was 92%, which increased with increasing gestational age (range from 69% at <28 weeks to 99% at 31 weeks). The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia was 4%, retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment 2%, intraventricular hemorrhage III-IV 6%, and periventricular leukomalacia 2%. 10% of the VPT infants had a major morbidity at discharge.


CONCLUSIONS
The outcomes of the VTP infants at this referral NICU were comparable to those in tertiary centers in developed countries. The most common complications were lower than those in other cohorts. Accordingly, high-volume NICU may minimize the adverse effects of VPT infants' transport.
Department of Pediatrics, BaYi Children's Hospital Affiliated to the Clinical Medical College of the General Hospital of Beijing Military Region, Southern Medical University, Beijing, China.
Wei-Qin
WQ
Zhou
Ya-Bo
YB
Mei
Xiao-Ying
XY
Zhang
Qiu-Ping
QP
Li
Xiang-Yong
XY
Kong
Zhi-Chun
ZC
Feng
D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome