Short-term outcomes of very low birth weight infants born at a tertiary care hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

To evaluate mortality and short-term outcomes in very low birth weight infants admitted to the tertiary neonatal intensive care unit, Istanbul, Turkey. Study data were recorded prospectively from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2010. The clinical findings in neonates with birth weights <1000g were compared with infants with birth weights of between 1000g and 1499g. In the present study, survival rates were 40% and 86.2% for infants weighing <1000g and 1000g to 1499g, respectively. There was no difference between males and females with respect to mortality [P>0.05]. The mean [ +/- standard deviation] birth weight was 985.6 +/- 150.15 g and mean gestational age was 27.5 +/- 2.04 weeks. The antenatal steroid rate was 37.2%, and the Cesarean section rate was 73%. Respiratory distress syndrome was diagnosed in 89% of the infants, with a 69% surfactant administration rate. Severe intracranial hemorrhage [IVH] [grade >II] was 14%. Grade 4 periventricular leukomalacia was 10%. Twelve [24%] infants had evidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia [BPD]. Retinopathy of prematurity [stage >II] was 4%. The correlation between ROP rate and need for ventilation therapy was present [r=0.52]. Proven necrotizing enterocolitis [stage >2] was not observed. Patent ductus arteriosus [PDA] was diagnosed in 67% of the neonates. BPD, IVH, and PDA were statistically higher in neonates with a birth weight <1000g. Survival rate of VLBW infants increased with increasing BW. Sex was not a risk factor for mortality. The need for ventilatory therapy may be an important risk factor for ROP in infants <1500g

Malondialdehyde level in the cord blood of newborn infants

In this study, we aim to demonstrate that measurement of the malondialdehyde [MDA] level in the umbilical cord blood of newborn infants born via cesarean section [C/S] and normal vaginal delivery [NVD] is indicative of oxidative stress during the perinatal period. The study was conducted at Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital between January 2006 and April 2006 on 15 newborns born via elective C/S, 15 newborns born via emergency C/S, and 15 newborns born via normal vaginal delivery. Complete blood count, total bilirubin, glucose, creatinine phosphokinase [CPK], uric acid, iron, blood gas, and malondialdehyde levels were measured in the umbilical cord blood. Malondialdehyde levels in the umbilical cord blood in the emergency C/S and NVD groups were found to be statistically and significantly higher than those in the elective C/S group. In the emergency C/S group, it was determined that the malondialdehyde level increased as the oxygen saturation of the umbilical cord blood increased. In the NVD group, a positive correlation was detected between the total bilirubin and malondialdehyde levels in the umbilical cord blood. In the emergency C/S group, the malondialdehyde level was recorded to be high in the infants with high level of uric acid in the umbilical cord blood. We concluded that the malondialdehyde level in umbilical cord blood could serve as an indication of perinatal oxidative stress and that it could thus help in preventing permanent damage