The Dublin outcome for low birth-weight infants

Area of Science:

• Neonatalogy
• Perinatology
• Public Health

Background:

• Low birth weight infants (<1750g) represent a significant proportion of neonatal care challenges.
• Infant outcomes are influenced by antenatal care, delivery methods, and postnatal interventions.
• Data on outcomes for this vulnerable population in Ireland were previously limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report on the mortality, morbidity, and intervention rates for low birth weight infants born in Dublin maternity hospitals.
• To evaluate the impact of antenatal steroid administration on neonatal outcomes.
• To establish a benchmark for future comparisons of neonatal care practices in Ireland.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 633 infants with birth weight 501-1750g born between 1990-1991.
• Data collection on stillbirths, lethal malformations, delivery modes, and antenatal steroid use.
• Tracking of postnatal outcomes including survival rates, ventilation, intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and retinopathy of prematurity.

Main Results:

• 16% of infants were stillborn; 28/531 live births had lethal malformations.
• 85% of liveborn infants without lethal malformations survived to 28 days.
• Antenatal steroid use showed a significant negative correlation with the need for postnatal ventilation (p<0.001).
• Common morbidities included intraventricular hemorrhage (25%), necrotizing enterocolitis (10%), and sepsis (19%).
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (15%) and retinopathy of prematurity (12%) affected survivors.

Conclusions:

• Antenatal steroid administration is associated with a decreased need for postnatal ventilation in low birth weight infants.
• Caesarean section delivery was significantly higher in this cohort compared to the general hospital population.
• This study provides crucial data on low birth weight infant outcomes in Ireland and underscores the importance of antenatal steroid utilization.