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Size at birth and neonatal and postneonatal mortality
Y B Cheung1, P S F Yip, J P E Karlberg
1Clinical Trials Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China.
Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|June 14, 2002
Summary
Birth length is a strong predictor of infant mortality, while ponderal index is linked to neonatal mortality. These findings highlight the importance of accurate infant size assessment for predicting mortality risks.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal epidemiology
- Neonatal health
- Biometrics in obstetrics
Background:
- Birthweight is a basic measure of infant size.
- Ponderal index and birth length are proposed as more comprehensive indicators.
- Understanding size-at-birth indicators is crucial for neonatal and postneonatal mortality assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between various size-at-birth indicators and mortality.
- To specifically analyze the roles of ponderal index and birth length in infant mortality.
- To evaluate the persistence of these associations across different infant mortality periods.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a large dataset of approximately one million live births in Sweden (1987-1995).
- Employed multinomial logit regression to calculate conditional odds ratios.
- Analyzed associations between size-at-birth metrics, gestational age, and mortality data.
Main Results:
- Birth length demonstrated a strong independent association with both neonatal and postneonatal mortality.
- Ponderal index showed a strong association with neonatal mortality but a weaker link to postneonatal mortality.
- These associations remained significant even after excluding congenital anomalies and adjusting for gestational age.
Conclusions:
- Birth length is a robust predictor of both early and later infant mortality.
- Ponderal index's impact is more pronounced in the neonatal period, suggesting a transient effect.
- The findings support hypotheses regarding the distinct and persistent effects of birth length versus the transient effects of ponderal index on infant survival.