ABSTRACT
Background: The incidence of preterm birth, defined as delivery before the end of the 37th week of pregnancy from the first day of the last menstrual period, is increasing. India accounts for the 40% of the global burden of low birth weight babies with 7.5million babies born with a birth weight of <2500g. The objective of the study is to compare the morbidity suffered by the late preterm infants with that of term infants.Methods: This was a retrospective study and the data for this study came from the medical records of maternal and neonatal case sheets and discharge summaries. The data was collected for the period between January 2014 and December 2014. All the late preterm infants born and admitted during early neonatal period were compared with term infants who were born and admitted during early neonatal period to the Aditya Hospital on the basis of maternal, infant and clinical characteristics.Results: A total 292 infants including LPTI and term infant records were obtained. LPTI group had significant problems compared to term infants. The predominant clinical problems at birth and during the early neonatal period are neonatal jaundice, transient tachypnea of newborn, feeding difficulty and probable sepsis.Conclusions: LPTI are at increased risk of morbidity compared to term infants and hence require special attention and care for possible complication during their early neonatal period.
ABSTRACT
Background: Preterm birth is one of the major clinical problems in Obstetrics and Neonatology as it is associated with perinatal mortality, serious neonatal morbidity and in some cases childhood disability. Very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates comprise between 4-8% of live-births but about one-third of deaths during the neonatal period occur in this group of newborns. Data on the probability of survival of infant in high risk pregnancies can be of great value in guiding management. The objective is to study the survival at discharge of VLBW neonates admitted in a tertiary care hospital.Methods: Retrospective observational study of all VLBW infants admitted in Aditya Hospital NICU over 3 years between 1-7-2011 to 30-6-2014. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis has been carried out in the present study.Results: In the present study maternal PROM was seen in 32.9% of cases, Preeclampsia in 31.7% of cases which constituted the most important antenatal risk factor for VLBW followed by multiple gestations in 25.2%. Common morbidities in VLBW neonates are Neonatal jaundice, Probable sepsis, Apnea of prematurity and RDS. Survival improved with increasing gestational age and weight.Conclusions: Birth weight and gestational age specifically predicts survival of preterm VLBW babies, facilitating decision making for obstetricians, neonatologists and parents. In the present study total survival rate was 86.6% with a mortality of 13.4%.