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Updated: Jun 15, 2026
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
[Cross-sectional study to evaluate the development and risk factors in premature children]
Laura Florescu1, Mioara Matei, Genoveva Bălănică
1Facultatea de Medicină, Disciplina Puericultură, Universitatea de Medicină si Farmacie "Gr.T. Popa" Iaşi.
Insights
Prematurity is a significant health issue. This study highlights risk factors and emphasizes the need for improved medical surveillance to reduce preterm births and enhance infant survival rates.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Prematurity is a major medical challenge with increasing incidence and complex management.
- This cross-sectional study investigated causes and risk factors of prematurity in 652 infants.
- It also examined the post-birth evolution and outcomes of these premature neonates.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the causes and risk factors associated with preterm birth.
- To analyze the after-birth evolution and complications in premature infants.
- To identify demographic and clinical factors influencing prematurity and infant outcomes.
Summary:
- Mothers of premature infants often had low socioeconomic status, rural origins, were housewives, and had elementary education.
- A significant proportion of newborns required emergency life support (63.2%) and intensive care for respiratory distress (77.6%).
- High rates of phototherapy for jaundice (92%) and bacterial colonization (72.6%) were observed, with nasal colonization being most common.
Impact:
- Improved perinatal care has increased survival rates for premature infants.
- Enhanced medical surveillance is crucial for reducing the incidence of preterm births.
- Findings underscore the need for targeted interventions for high-risk populations to improve neonatal outcomes.
Unlabelled:
Prematurity represents an important medical problem due to the increased incidence and complex treatment measures.
Material And Method:
We have made a cross-sectional study to evaluate the causes and risk factors of prematurity and after-birth evolution in 652 premature children.
Results:
Most children had mothers of low socio-economic status (70.1%), from the countryside (70.5%), housewives (82.8%), elementary educational level (67.7%). The age of pregnancy at the beginning of the observation was significantly different in the urban environment in comparison with the rural (p < 0.05). Emergency life support at birth was needed for 63.2% of the premature newborns and hospitalization in Intensive Care for respiratory distress for 77.6%. Intense icterus required phototherapy in 92% of preterm newborns. Epidemiologic survey proved bacterial colonization in 72.6% of the infants, mostly nasal (24.5%). There was an increased number of bottle-fed infants (63.6%), but regardless of the feeding method, the weight increase was proper.
Conclusion:
The improvement of perinatal care allowed the increase of survival rate of premature infants, but a more serious medical surveillance is needed in order to reduce the number of preterm births.
