Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
[Using the CRIB as an early prognostic index for very low birthweight infants, treated in neonatal intensive care
Insights
The Clinical Risk Index for Babies (CRIB) score accurately predicts mortality and permanent disabilities in very low birthweight newborns. Higher CRIB scores correlate with increased risks, aiding early intervention and NICU outcome assessment.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Pediatric Critical Care
- Perinatology
Background:
- Illness severity at NICU admission impacts newborn prognosis, therapy intensity, and hospital costs.
- Objective assessment of illness severity is crucial for predicting outcomes in newborns.
- The Clinical Risk Index for Babies (CRIB) offers an objective method for early illness severity assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To implement the CRIB score for assessing illness severity in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants.
- To evaluate the prognostic value of the CRIB score for mortality and permanent disabilities in VLBW infants.
Main Methods:
- Study included VLBW infants (<1500g, <32 weeks gestation) admitted to NICU over two periods (2002-2006).
- CRIB scores were calculated using data from the first 12 hours of life.
- Outcomes analyzed included in-hospital mortality, severe intraventricular hemorrhages (IVH), chronic lung disease (CLD), and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
Main Results:
- CRIB scores were significantly higher in infants who died compared to survivors (12.7-13% vs. 5.7-6.2%, P < 0.001).
- Mortality rates increased progressively with CRIB score, from 2.9-2.6% (CRIB 0-5) to 78.6-90% (CRIB >15).
- Infants with permanent disabilities (IVH, CLD, ROP) exhibited significantly higher CRIB scores.
Conclusions:
- The CRIB score serves as a valuable, easily applicable, early, and objective prognostic tool for in-hospital death risk in VLBW newborns.
- The CRIB score is also effective in predicting the risk of permanent disabilities among VLBW infants.
- CRIB scores can facilitate standardized comparison of outcomes across different NICUs.
Unlabelled:
The illness severity by admission in NICU reflects the intensity of the therapy, the prognosis for the newborn and the hospital costs. Using the CRIB (Clinical Risk Index for Babies) as an objective and easy method for measuring the illness severity in the first 12 h of life allows assessing the risk of death until discharge.
Aim:
To apply the CRIB for assessing the illness severity and to investigate its prognostic value for life and risk of permanent disabilities among very low birthweight (VLBW) and gestational age (VLGA) infants.
Methods:
The study includes the inborn babies in the Specialized Obstetrics & Gynaecology Hospital "Maichin dom" with birthweight < 1500g and gestational age < 32 weeks of gestation, who are admitted in the NICU for 2 periods: I group--250 newborns in the period 01.2002-06.2004 and II group--186 newborns in the period 07.2004-06.2006. The CRIB is estimated based on data collected in the first 12 h of life. An analysis was made about the prognostic value of the CRIB score and the outcome. Criteria for outcome are: the in hospital mortality rate and disabilities such as severe intraventricular hemorrhages (IVH gr. III and IV), chronic lung disease (CLD) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
Results:
We establish that the CRIB score is significantly higher among the infants who died--12.7%/13% in the I / II period compared with survivors--6.2% / 5.7% (P < 0.001). The mortality rates raise progressively with the CRIB score: among the newborns with CRIB 0-5 they are 2.9% / 2.6% and reaches up to 78.6% / 90% when the CRIB is > 15. The infants with permanent disabilities were with significantly higher CRIB scores too: 11.7 / 11.4% among the infants with IVH III-IV compared to 6.2 / 5.2 without; 9.6 / 10.1 among infants with CLD compared to 5.7 /5.2 without; 10.1 / 10 among infants with ROP compared to 5.5 / 5.1 without.
Conclusions:
The CRIB score is useful and easy to apply early and objective prognostic criterion about the risk of in hospital death and permanent disabilities among VLBW newborns. It can be used as a basis for comparing the results of the different NICUs too.
