Perinatal risk factors and mode of delivery correlated to survival and psychomotor disability in extremely low birth weight infants.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Extreme preterm birth, <28 weeks of gestation, represents a public health concern with major economic implications, being the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. METHODS: A single-centre retrospective cohort study was carried out to assess the role of caesarean section and to identify perinatal factors affecting neonatal survival and psychomotor development in these infants. 57 cases with complete maternal, obstetrical and neonatological information were selected for this study and neurological development was assessed for at least 18 months of life. RESULTS: Infant survival and neurological morbidity rates were directly and inversely correlated to birth weights and gestational age at birth, respectively. In multivariate analysis only extreme prematurity (