Network on care of and morbidity and mortality rates for very low birth weight infants, according to gestational age (GA).METHODS-Perinatal/neonatal data were collected for 9575 infants of extremely low GA (22-28 weeks) and very low birth weight (401-1500 g) who were born at network centers between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2007. RESULTS-Rates of survival to discharge increased with increasing GA (6% at 22 weeks and 92% at 28 weeks); 1060 infants died at ≤ 12 hours, with most early deaths occurring at 22 and 23 weeks (85% and 43%, respectively). Rates of prenatal steroid use (13% and 53%, respectively), cesarean section (7% and 24%, respectively), and delivery room intubation (19% and 68%, respectively) increased markedly between 22 and 23 weeks. Infants at the lowest GAs were at greatest risk for morbidities. Overall, 93% had respiratory distress syndrome, 46% patent ductus arteriosus, 16% severe intraventricular hemorrhage, 11% necrotizing enterocolitis, and 36% late-onset sepsis. The new severity-based definition of bronchopulmonary dysplasia classified more infants as having bronchopulmonary dysplasia than did the traditional definition of supplemental oxygen use at 36 weeks (68%, compared with 42%). More than one-half of infants with extremely low GAs had undetermined retinopathy status at the time of discharge. Center differences in management and outcomes were identified.CONCLUSION-Although the majority of infants with GAs of ≥24 weeks survive, high rates of morbidity among survivors continue to be observed. Keywordsextremely low gestation; very low birth weight; morbidity; death Over the previous 2 decades, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network (NRN) has monitored trends in morbidity and mortality rates among very low birth weight (VLBW) infants born at the university centers that constitute the NRN. 1-6 Increased VLBW infant survival rates have paralleled improvements in prenatal, obstetric, and neonatal care.7 , 8 NRN data suggest that a plateau in VLBW infant survival rates might have been reached, despite increased use of prenatal corticosteroid treatment, prenatal antibiotic treatment, and early neonatal surfactant treatment. 6 Previous NRN reports presented patient characteristics, interventions, and outcomes according to birth weight (BW), with an upper limit of 1500 g. Such BW-specific data may be skewed by more-mature infants with growth restriction. The aim of this study was to evaluate management, hospital complications, and mortality rates among infants with gestational ages (GAs) of 22 to 28 weeks who were born at NRN centers between 2003 and 2007. METHODS Study Population and Clinical OutcomesInfants born alive at NRN centers in 2003-2007 with GAs of 22 0/7 to 28 6/7 weeks and BWs of 401 to 1500 g were studied, including those with congenital anomalies. These infants were part of the NRN VLBW registry. [1][2][3][4][5][6] Research personnel collected maternal pregnancy/delivery data soon after birth and inf...

In the era of intrapartum chemoprophylaxis to reduce GBS, rates of EO infection have declined but reflect a continued burden of disease. GBS remains the most frequent pathogen in term infants, and E coli the most significant pathogen in preterm infants. Missed opportunities for GBS prevention continue. Prevention of E coli sepsis, especially among preterm infants, remains a challenge.

Background-Previous studies have suggested that the incidence of retinopathy is lower in preterm infants with exposure to reduced levels of oxygenation than in those exposed to higher levels of oxygenation. However, it is unclear what range of oxygen saturation is appropriate to minimize retinopathy without increasing adverse outcomes.Methods-We performed a randomized trial with a 2-by-2 factorial design to compare target ranges of oxygen saturation of 85 to 89% or 91 to 95% among 1316 infants who were born between 24 weeks 0 days and 27 weeks 6 days of gestation. The primary outcome was a composite of severe retinopathy of prematurity (defined as the presence of threshold retinopathy, the need for surgical ophthalmologic intervention, or the use of bevacizumab), death before discharge from the hospital, or both. All infants were also randomly assigned to continuous positive airway pressure or intubation and surfactant.Results-The rates of severe retinopathy or death did not differ significantly between the loweroxygen-saturation group and the higher-oxygen-saturation group (28.3% and 32.1%, respectively; relative risk with lower oxygen saturation, 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76 to 1.06; P = 0.21). Death before discharge occurred more frequently in the lower-oxygen-saturation group (in 19.9% of infants vs. 16.2%; relative risk, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.60; P = 0.04), whereas severe retinopathy among survivors occurred less often in this group (8.6% vs. 17.9%; relative risk, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.73; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in the rates of other adverse events.Conclusions-A lower target range of oxygenation (85 to 89%), as compared with a higher range (91 to 95%), did not significantly decrease the composite outcome of severe retinopathy or death, but it resulted in an increase in mortality and a substantial decrease in severe retinopathy among survivors. The increase in mortality is a major concern, since a lower target range of oxygen saturation is increasingly being advocated to prevent retinopathy of prematurity. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00233324.) Retinopathy of prematurity is an important cause of blindness and other visual disabilities in preterm infants. The incidence of retinopathy of prematurity was increased with exposure to unrestricted oxygen supplementation in preterm infants in randomized, controlled trials NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript performed in the 1950s. 1 In the 1960s, this increase resulted in the practice of restricting the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO 2 ) to no more than 0.50, which was estimated to result in an excess of 16 deaths per case of blindness prevented. 2 More recent data suggest that levels of oxygen saturation previously thought to be at the upper end of the normal range may increase the risk of retinopathy of prematurity as compared with levels at the lower end of the normal range. [3][4][5] Oxygen toxicity may also increase the risk of death, 6,7 bronchopulmonary dysplasia, 8-...

BACKGROUND-High-dose erythropoietin has been shown to have a neuroprotective effect in preclinical models of neonatal brain injury, and phase 2 trials have suggested possible efficacy; however, the benefits and safety of this therapy in extremely preterm infants have not been established. METHODS-In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial of high-dose erythropoietin, we assigned 941 infants who were born at 24 weeks 0 days to 27 weeks 6 days of gestation to receive erythropoietin or placebo within 24 hours after birth.

OBJECTIVE-Invasive candidiasis is a leading cause of infection-related morbidity and mortality in extremely low-birth-weight (<1000 g) infants. We quantify risk factors predicting infection in high-risk premature infants and compare clinical judgment with a prediction model of invasive candidiasis. METHODS-The study involved a prospective observational cohort of infants <1000 g birth weight at 19 centers of the NICHD Neonatal Research Network. At each sepsis evaluation, clinical information was recorded, cultures obtained, and clinicians prospectively recorded their estimate of the probability of invasive candidiasis. Two models were generated with invasive candidiasis as their outcome: 1) potentially modifiable risk factors and 2) a clinical model at time of blood culture to predict candidiasis.RESULTS-Invasive candidiasis occurred in 137/1515 (9.0%) infants and was documented by positive culture from ≥ 1 of these sources: blood (n=96), cerebrospinal fluid (n=9), urine obtained by catheterization (n=52), or other sterile body fluid (n=10). Mortality was not different from infants who had positive blood culture compared to those with isolated positive urine culture. Incidence varied from 2-28% at the 13 centers enrolling ≥ 50 infants. Potentially modifiable risk factors (model 1) included central catheter, broad-spectrum antibiotics (e.g., third-generation cephalosporins), intravenous lipid emulsion, endotracheal tube, and antenatal antibiotics. The clinical prediction model (model 2) had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.79, and was superior to clinician judgment (0.70) in predicting subsequent invasive candidiasis. Performance of clinical judgment did not vary significantly with level of training. CONCLUSION-Priorantibiotics, presence of a central catheter, endotracheal tube, and center were strongly associated with invasive candidiasis. Modeling was more accurate in predicting invasive candidiasis than clinical judgment. KeywordsCandidiasis; premature infant; risk factors In the extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW; <1000g) infant, invasive candidiasis is common, often fatal, and frequently leads to poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. 1,2 Invasive candidiasis (Candida infections of the blood and other sterile body fluids) is the second most common cause of infectious disease-related death in the extremely premature infant. Despite antifungal treatment, 20% of infants who develop invasive candidiasis die, and neurodevelopmental impairment occurs in nearly 60% of survivors. 1,2 Rates of invasive candidiasis vary 10-fold among similar academic tertiary care neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). 3 This variation among nurseries is found throughout the world 4-9 and has not been explained, but exposure to environmental risk factors (e.g., incubator humidity), third-generation cephalosporins, and foreign bodies such as catheters have all been associated with development of disease. 3,10,11 The high morbidity related to invasive candidiasis leads to the consideration of empirical anti...