The Cohort of Indonesian Preterm Infants for Long-term Outcomes (CIPTO) study: a protocol.

BACKGROUND: Indonesia has high numbers of preterm birth, i.e., around 600,000 preterm births annually. It imposes a significant burden on the Indonesia's healthcare system. Indonesia therefore requires its own evidence-based reference to manage premature neonates and ex-preterm infants who subsequently survived. No long-term study on preterm infants in Indonesia has been conducted, therefore we aim to evaluate growth and development on ex-preterm infants until the pre-pubertal stage. METHODS: We at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (CMGH) designed a prospective cohort study of preterm infants, i.e., the Cohort of Indonesian Preterm Infants for Long-term Outcomes (CIPTO) study. At least 500 subjects will be recruited with an estimation of two-year recruitment (i.e., the recruitment phase will be completed before 2024). The CIPTO study will observe long-term outcomes of ex-preterm infants, primarily on growth and developmental milestones until 8 years old. Aims of this study are to determine the ex-preterm outcomes and to generate an evidence-based reference of preterm care for ensuring optimum outcomes. The pre-specified long-term outcomes in this study are survival rates, growth outcomes, neurodevelopmental outcomes, feeding behavior, as well as hearing and vision impairments. Growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes will be assessed at 0, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 24 months of corrected age as well as at 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 years old. DISCUSSION: The CIPTO study is the first prospective cohort in Indonesia focusing on preterm infants born at the CMGH. With a follow up until 8 years old, this study may provide useful insights to generate an evidence-based, Indonesia's health care reference in managing premature infants and ensuring the optimum outcomes of ex-preterm infants.

Defining postnatal growth failure among preterm infants in Indonesia.

Background: Postnatal growth failure (PGF) frequently occurred among preterm infants with malnutrition. The decline in a weight-for-age z-score of ≥1.2 has been proposed to define PGF. It was unknown whether this indicator would be useful among Indonesian preterm infants. Methods: Infants of <37 weeks of gestational age born between 2020 and 2021, both stable and unstable, were recruited for a prospective cohort study during hospitalization in the level III neonatal intensive care unit at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia. The prevalence of PGF as defined by a weight-for-age z-score of <-1.28 (<10th percentile) at discharge, a weight-for-age z-score of <-1.5 (<7th percentile) at discharge, or a decline in a weight-for-age z-score of ≥1.2 from birth till discharge was compared. The association between those PGF indicators with the preterm subcategory and weight gain was assessed. The association between the decline in a weight-for-age z-score of ≥1.2 with the duration to achieve full oral feeding and the time spent for total parenteral nutrition was analyzed. Results: Data were collected from 650 preterm infants who survived and were discharged from the hospital. The weight-for-age z-score of <-1.28 or <-1.5 was found in 307 (47.2%) and 270 (41.5%) subjects with PGF, respectively. However, both indicators did not identify any issue of weight gain among subjects with PGF, questioning their reliability in identifying malnourished preterm infants. By contrast, the decline in a weight-for-age z-score of ≥1.2 was found in 51 (7.8%) subjects with PGF, in which this indicator revealed that subjects with PGF had an issue of weight gain. Next, a history of invasive ventilation was identified as a risk factor for preterm infants to contract PGF. Finally, the decline in a weight-for-age z-score of ≥1.2 confirmed that preterm infants with PGF took a longer time to be fully orally fed and a longer duration for total parenteral nutrition than the ones without PGF. Conclusion: The decline in a weight-for-age z-score of ≥1.2 was useful to identify preterm infants with PGF within our cohort. This could reassure pediatricians in Indonesia to use this new indicator.