Nursery neurobiologic risk score as a predictor of mortality in premature infants

Severity-of-illness scales have been proven to be valuable in assessing clinical outcomes and several risk scores have been used to evaluate neonatal illness severity. At present, we use nursery Neurobiologic Risk Score (NBRS) to evaluate the short term outcome of preterm newborns and their correlation to length of stay and morbidity. The NBRS was determined at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Changhua Christian Hospital in 183 preterm infants with birth weight < 2500 gm, gestational age < 37 weeks and age less than 7 days between July 1991 and June 1992. The NBRS correlates significantly with the birth weight and gestational age (p < 0.0001), it is also a significant predictor of NICU mortality (r = 0.68, p < 0.0001) and morbidity (Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, BPD: r = 0.46, p < 0.0001; Retinopathy of prematurity, ROP: r = 0.20, p < 0.01), there is also a significant correlation with the length of stay (r = 0.53, p < 0.0001). We created a revised NBRS, it is also a significant predictor of NICU mortality and morbidity which are independent of birth weight. Further validation of revised NBRS in prediction of NICU mortality & morbidity is needed.