SNAPPE-II application in newborns with very low birth weight: evaluation of adverse outcomes in severe placental dysfunction
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Paulo Roberto Nassar Carvalho1, Maria Elizabeth Lopes Moreira, Renato Augusto Moreira Sá
1Clínica Perinatal Barra, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. paulonassar@cpdt.com.br
Aim:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of the admission Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology - Perinatal Extension-II (SNAPPE-II) to predict adverse outcome among premature very low birth weight (BW) infants with abnormal Doppler blood flow in the uterus secondary to severe placental insufficiency of early onset.
Methods:
A total of 86 neonates, weighing between 360 and 1498 g, were studied. Descriptive statistics of the population were reported. The areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves for the SNAPPE-II were calculated. The calibration of the model was assessed using the technique of Hosmer-Lemeshow. Adverse outcome was defined as mortality or the development of the following diagnoses: (1) periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (PIH); (2) retinopathy of prematurity stage 3 or 4; (3) periventricular leukomalacia; (4) bronchopulmonary dysplasia; (5) necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
Results:
The SNAPPE-II area under curve was 0.86 (95% CI: 0.78-0.94) for mortality and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.65-0.86) for the prediction of adverse outcomes. Analyzing each morbidity variable, the SNAPPE-II AUC varied between 0.51 for NEC and 0.72 for PIH.
Conclusion:
SNAPPE-II shows accuracy in the prediction of adverse outcome for this highly selective group of very low BW infants compromised by severe placental insufficiency.

