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Published on: November 20, 2015
Late preterm infants: Week by week outcomes of morbidity and mortality
Georgios Mitsiakos1, Konstantinos Tsepis, Aimilia Eirini Papathanasiou
12nd Neonatal Department and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), "Papageorgiou" Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. mitsiakos@auth.gr.
Insights
Late preterm infants (LPIs) born between 34-36 weeks gestation face increased risks. Outcomes like respiratory issues and NICU stays worsen with earlier birth within this range, highlighting the importance of gestational age.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Perinatology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Late preterm infants (LPIs) represent a significant proportion of births.
- Caesarean sections are a common delivery method for LPIs.
- Understanding LPI outcomes is crucial for neonatal care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the week-by-week clinical outcomes of late preterm infants.
- To correlate gestational age with specific neonatal morbidities and mortality.
- To identify risks associated with different gestational age subgroups within the late preterm range.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 1527 infants born between 34 and 36+6/7 weeks gestation.
- Infants categorized into three groups based on gestational age (GA): 34-34+6/7, 35-35+6/7, and 36-36+6/7 weeks.
- Analysis of clinical outcomes including NICU admission, respiratory disorders, sepsis, feeding issues, neurological examination, and mortality.
Main Results:
- 1280 (12%) of 10650 deliveries were late preterm; 1004 (78.5%) by caesarean section.
- 565 (37%) infants required Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission; 5 deaths recorded (NMR 3.2 ‰).
- Incidence of respiratory disorders, sepsis, feeding problems, and abnormal neurological exams decreased as GA increased. Infants at 34 weeks required longer NICU hospitalization.
Conclusions:
- Clinical outcomes for late preterm infants are inversely proportional to gestational age.
- Infants born at 34 weeks gestation experience significantly higher rates of morbidities and longer hospital stays.
- Gestational age is a critical determinant of health outcomes in late preterm infants, emphasizing the need for tailored neonatal care.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to determine the clinical outcome of late preterm infants (LPI) week by week. Our patients were divided into three groups according to gestational age (GA); group A: 34 - 34+6/7 weeks, group B: 35 - 35+6/7 weeks and group C: 36 - 36+6/7 weeks. Out of 10650 deliveries, 1280 (12%) were late preterm, 1004 (78.5%) of which were carried out by caesarean section. A total of 1527 infants were studied with 565 (37%) requiring admission to NICU while 5 deaths were recorded (neonatal mortality rate was estimated at 3.2 ‰). Our study demonstrates that the rate of respiratory disorders, sepsis, feeding disorders and abnormal neurological examination in LPIs was inversely proportional to their GA. Furthermore, infants of 34+0/7 - 34+6/7 weeks of GA required a longer hospitalization in the NICU than their more mature peers.
