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SGA subtypes and mortality risk among singleton births.
Sibylle Kristensen1, Hamisu M Salihu, Louis G Keith
1Department of Epidemiology and International Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. sibylle@uab.edu
Early Human Development
|July 18, 2006
Summary
Small for gestational age (SGA) infants face higher mortality risks. Preterm SGA neonates have a significantly elevated risk of death in their first year of life compared to term or post-term SGA infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Perinatal Medicine
- Pediatric Mortality
Background:
- Small for gestational age (SGA) is a condition where infants are born smaller than expected for their gestational age.
- Early life mortality remains a significant concern for SGA neonates.
- Understanding mortality risk variations within SGA subtypes is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate early mortality risks in small for gestational age (SGA) neonates.
- To compare mortality risks across different SGA subtypes: term, preterm, and post-term SGA infants.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study utilizing US singleton live births from 1995-1999.
- Logistic regression models were employed to calculate adjusted risk estimates.
- Non-SGA infants served as the reference group for comparison.
Main Results:
- SGA infants, as a group, exhibited significantly higher risks for infant, neonatal, and post-neonatal mortality compared to non-SGA infants.
- Mortality risk varied substantially among SGA subtypes.
- Preterm SGA infants demonstrated the highest mortality risk across all periods of infancy, with adjusted odds ratios substantially exceeding those for term and post-term SGA infants.
Conclusions:
- Small for gestational age (SGA) represents a heterogeneous condition regarding infant survival.
- Preterm SGA infants face an exceptionally high risk of mortality during infancy.
- Clinical counseling for parents of SGA infants must acknowledge and communicate these distinct risk profiles.