title: Early neonatal morbidities and associated modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors in a cohort of infants born at 34-35 weeks of gestation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain the most common early morbidities in a cohort of infants born at 34-35 weeks gestation and to identify the risk factors associated with these morbidities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of data collected prospectively for all 235 infants born at 34-35 weeks of gestation during an eight-month period at a single tertiary medical center. Study group infants (SG) were compared with 470 term infants (TI), matched both for gender and for mode of delivery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Jaundice requiring phototherapy (32%), respiratory disease (19.1%) and cyanotic episodes (15.7%) were the most frequent early morbidities, followed by hypoglycemia, temperature instability and feeding intolerance. The risk of having a complication was 13.3-times higher in the SG compared with the TI group (95% CI 8.9-19.6, p < 0.001). Modifiable interventions associated with these morbidities were antenatal steroids, MgSO4 and mode of delivery. Non-modifiable factors were maternal age, parity, twins and gender.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Jaundice requiring phototherapy, respiratory disease and cyanotic episodes are the most frequent early morbidities among infants born at 34-35 weeks. Medically modifiable factors were found to be associated with the above morbidities. Whether specific recommendations for the care of these infants will affect early morbidities needs to be studied in controlled prospective studies.
authors: Department of Neonatology, The Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital , Ramat Gan , Israel .
authors: Iris
authors: I
authors: Morag
authors: Avital L
authors: AL
authors: Okrent
authors: Tzipora
authors: T
authors: Strauss
authors: Orna
authors: O
authors: Staretz-Chacham
authors: Jacob
authors: J
authors: Kuint
authors: Michal J
authors: MJ
authors: Simchen
authors: Amir
authors: A
authors: Kugelman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Antenatal steroids; magnesium sulfate; morbidities; neonatal jaundice; preterm infant; respiratory distress