Prognosis for infants with birth weights less than 1,501 g treated in a central hospital
Thaarup, J.; Kierkegaard, O.; Dirdal, M.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 155(22): 1694-1698
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 8317011 Document Number: 410858
The mortality, morbidity and major sequelae for children with very low birth weight (< 1501 grams) born in the county of Ringkoebing, from 1981 to 1990 were reviewed retrospectively. Ventilator treatment was not used in the neonatal period. Neonatal survival was 63% (143 of 227 infants); the excess mortality compared with contemporary investigations was found in the group 1251-1500 grams and was mainly due to respiratory distress syndrome, which, in the whole population, was an important factor in 62% of neonatal deaths. Among 11 with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and six with Wilson-Mikity syndrome, only three died from Wilson-Mikity syndrome and three had minor pulmonary symptoms, but were healthy at one year of age. Twenty eight per cent of neonatal survivors received supplementary oxygen for more than 28 days. Six per cent of neonatal survivors had major neurological sequelae; i.e. higher neonatal mortality but probably lower incidence of chronic lung disease and major neurological sequelae than reported from contemporary Danish and foreign centres.