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Published on: November 20, 2015
A systematic review of severe morbidity in infants born late preterm
Margreet J Teune1, Sabine Bakhuizen, Cynthia Gyamfi Bannerman
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.j.teune@amc.uva.nl
Insights
Late-preterm infants face increased risks for respiratory distress, intraventricular hemorrhage, and death compared to full-term infants. These risks extend beyond the neonatal period, impacting long-term health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine
- Pediatric Health Outcomes
- Public Health Research
Background:
- Late-preterm infants (34-36 weeks gestation) constitute the majority of preterm births.
- Understanding their short- and long-term health risks is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the short- and long-term morbidity associated with late-preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of cohort studies published between January 2000 and July 2010.
- Analysis included data from over 29 million infants.
Main Results:
- Late-preterm infants showed significantly higher risks for respiratory distress syndrome (RR 17.3), intraventricular hemorrhage (RR 4.9), and early death (RR 5.9).
- Long-term risks included increased mortality in the first year (RR 3.7) and higher incidence of cerebral palsy (RR 3.1).
Conclusions:
- While the absolute risk is low, late-preterm infants experience significantly increased morbidity and mortality compared to term infants.
- These findings highlight the vulnerability of late-preterm infants and the need for continued monitoring and care.
Objective:
Late-preterm infants (34 weeks 0/7 days-36 weeks 6/7 days' gestation) represent the largest proportion of singleton preterm births. A systematic review was performed to access the short- and/or long-term morbidity of late-preterm infants.
Study Design:
An electronic search was conducted for cohort studies published from January 2000 through July 2010.
Results:
We identified 22 studies studying 29,375,675 infants. Compared with infants born at term, infants born late preterm were more likely to suffer poorer short-term outcomes such as respiratory distress syndrome (relative risk [RR], 17.3), intraventricular hemorrhage (RR, 4.9), and death <28 days (RR, 5.9). Beyond the neonatal period, late-preterm infants were more likely to die in the first year (RR, 3.7) and to suffer from cerebral palsy (RR, 3.1).
Conclusion:
Although the absolute incidence of neonatal mortality and morbidity in infants born late preterm is low, its incidence is significantly increased as compared with infants born at term.
