Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 23, 2026
A Rat Model of Mild Intrauterine Hypoperfusion with Microcoil Stenosis
Published on: January 7, 2018
Daily mortality of infants born at less than 30weeks' gestation
Christoph P Hornik1, Ashley L Sherwood1, C Michael Cotten2
1Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States.
Insights
Survival rates for premature infants improve with age but decrease after 37 weeks postmenstrual age. This study analyzed mortality in a large cohort, finding overall survival increased from 1997 to 2013.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Perinatology
- Pediatric Critical Care
Background:
- Limited data exists on premature infant mortality risk stratified by postnatal age and adjusted for illness severity.
- Understanding day-by-day mortality is crucial for optimizing care for hospitalized premature infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine day-by-day mortality in a large multicenter cohort of premature infants.
- To adjust mortality analysis for demographics, illness severity, and therapeutic interventions.
- To provide updated survival data for premature infants based on gestational and postnatal age.
Main Methods:
- Multicenter cohort study including 64,896 infants born at 22-29 weeks' gestational age.
- Data collected from 362 neonatal intensive care units between 1997 and 2013.
- Analysis focused on survival to hospital discharge, stratified by gestational and postnatal age.
Main Results:
- Overall survival to hospital discharge was 85% (55,348 of 64,896 infants).
- Survival increased with gestational and postnatal age, peaking around 37 weeks postmenstrual age.
- Significant improvement in overall survival observed from 80% in 1997 to 88% in 2013 (P<.001).
Conclusions:
- Gestational age and postnatal age are key predictors of survival in premature infants.
- Survival predictions must account for both gestational and postnatal age.
- Continuous monitoring and adjustment for these factors are essential for improving outcomes in neonatal intensive care units.
Background:
Few studies have reported odds of mortality for hospitalized premature infants stratified by postnatal age and adjusted for severity of illness. Our objective was to examine day-by-day mortality of premature infants in a large multicenter cohort of infants, adjusted for demographics, severity of illness, and receipt of therapeutic interventions.
Methods:
This was a multicenter cohort study of infants cared for in 362 neonatal intensive care units with a shared clinical data warehouse from 1997 to 2013. We included all inborn infants born at 22-29weeks' gestational age with available mortality discharge data. We report the point prevalence of survival to hospital discharge stratified by gestational and postnatal age.
Results:
We identified 64,896 infants, of whom 55,348 (85%) survived to hospital discharge. Survival increased with gestational and postnatal age, until infants reached a postmenstrual age of approximately 37weeks, after which survival began to decrease. Overall survival increased over time (80% in 1997 to 88% in 2013, P<.001).
Conclusions:
Given the known association between gestational age and postnatal age, survival predictions should be adjusted for both covariates.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:22Development of Immunocompetence
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
01:29Drug Dosing: Infants and Children