In-Hospital Outcomes of Very Preterm and Very Low Birth Weight Neonates: A Multicenter Retrospective Study from India

Area of Science:

• Neonatalogy
• Pediatric Critical Care
• Public Health

Background:

• Very preterm and very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates represent a vulnerable population requiring specialized care.
• Tertiary neonatal centers play a crucial role in managing high-risk newborns.
• Understanding in-hospital outcomes is essential for improving neonatal care standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in-hospital survival and morbidity rates of very preterm and VLBW neonates.
• To assess outcomes in neonates born in tertiary neonatal centers across India.
• To provide data on the effectiveness of care for extremely premature infants.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1691 very preterm and 1754 VLBW neonates.
• Data collected from 14 tertiary neonatal units in India between January 2018 and December 2022.
• Outcomes assessed included survival to discharge and morbidities such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Main Results:

• Overall survival to discharge for very preterm neonates was 87.8%.
• Survival rates increased with gestational age, reaching 97.7% for 31-week-old neonates.
• Key morbidity rates included BPD (4%), severe IVH (2.4%), cystic PVL (0.9%), and treatable ROP (5.1%). VLBW survival was 88%.

Conclusions:

• Tertiary neonatal centers in India demonstrate good survival and acceptable morbidity rates for very preterm and VLBW neonates.
• The findings suggest effective management protocols are in place in these specialized units.
• Further research can focus on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.