Etiology and outcome of extremely low-birth-weight infants.

Abstract

Our purpose was to determine whether the reason for delivery of extremely low-birth-weight infants influenced the immediate neonatal outcome. At a regional perinatal center a retrospective analysis of 111 neonates with birth weights between 500 and 800 gm and their respective mothers was performed. The mother-infant pairs were grouped according to the reason for delivery. Group 1 included those with idiopathic preterm labor. Group 2 included mothers with preterm rupture of membranes. Group 3 included those delivered for maternal or fetal indications. Group 4 included all multiple gestations. Maternal, intrapartum, and neonatal outcome variables were then evaluated for statistical significance by analysis of variance and chi2 methods and a p value of 0.05. The neonatal outcome variables (survival and incidence of major intraventricular hemorrhage, hyaline membrane disease, and fetal sepsis) were not found to be significantly different among the four groups tested. The reason for the delivery of extremely low-birth-weight infants does not have an impact on the immediate neonatal outcome in these neonates.