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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Major birth defects in very low birth weight infants in the Vermont Oxford Network
G K Suresh1, J D Horbar, M Kenny
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.
Objective:
To study the frequency and types of major birth defects in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants and their impact on mortality and resource use.
Study Design:
Analysis of data from the Vermont Oxford Network Database from 1994 and 1995 on infants with birth weights of 501 to 1500 g. Major birth defects were reported from a list of 40 defined major defects or if they were considered lethal or life-threatening. Mortality and length of stay were determined.
Results:
Major birth defects were present in 823 (4.3%) of 19,228 VLBW infants from 147 hospitals. The most common categories were chromosomal anomalies (20%); named syndromes, sequences, and associations (19%); and gastrointestinal (14%), cardiovascular (11%), and nervous system (10%) anomalies. Infants with major birth defects had a higher mortality rate (58% vs 13%, P <.001) and a higher rate of major surgery (29% vs 5%, P <.001) than infants without such defects. Infants with major birth defects accounted for 16.3% of deaths and 18.9% of major surgical procedures but only for 2.9% of total hospital days.
Conclusions:
Major birth defects accounted for 16% of all deaths in VLBW infants. However, they accounted for a low proportion of total hospital days.
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