Clinical Study of Morbidity and Mortality Pattern of Preterm Very Low Birth Weight Babies in Neonatal Period

Abstract

Background: There are multiple factors responsible for preterm delivery. It is difficult to completely separate factors associated with prematurity from those are associated with 'IUGR [4]. Objective: To determine morbidity and mortality pattern of preterm very low birth weight babies in neonatal period. Methods: A total number of 200 preterm very low birth weight babies consecutively admitted in this hospital were enrolled into this study. The information about the babies gathered from the history and physical examination and recorded within 24 hours of admission. Each infant was reassessed daily to record the progress and to document any new complication. In his study 50% was male and 50% was female babies. Among them 8.5% was extremely Low birth weight, 1.5% was incredibly low birth weight babies. About 64.5% of preterm VLBW babies were associated with multiple pregnancy- among them 57.1% twin pregnancy and 7.5% triplet pregnancy. Each baby had one or more problems -infection 33% (septicemia congenital pneumonia and umblical sepsis), perinatal asphyxia 30%, poor feeding 10%, neonatal jaundice 28.5, neonatal seizure 14 %, apnea 16.5%, RDS 5 %, Hypoglycemia 7%, hypocalcaemia 2.5 %, were the major problems. Result: Among the studied neonates mortality rate was 32.5 %. Perinatal asphyxia 30%, septicemia. 20.50 % were the major cause of death in preterm infants. Immediate outcome of preterm VLBW infants was closely related to maternal illness during pregnancy. We found mortality rate was related to gestational age, highest (100 %) among the babies of gestational age less than 28 weeks and lowest in babies of gestational age 35 weeks or more. Lower gestational age was associated with higher mortality rate. Higher mortality rates were observed among babies delivered vaginally (24.7%) compared to caesarian section (16.7 %). In addition to prematurity-birth weight was the important factor influencing the mortality observed in the present study. Conclusion: This study ...

A comprehensive analysis of twin births: clinical characteristics, morbidity trends, and risk determinants

“…This phenomenon, consistent with global observations, can be attributed to factors like intrauterine competition for nutrients and a higher likelihood of preterm birth in multiple gestations, leading to restricted fetal growth and shorter gestational periods. [27][28][29] LBW and VLBW in twins not only necessitate immediate intensive neonatal care but also pose long-term health risks, including developmental and chronic health issues. This underscores the need for enhanced prenatal monitoring and specialized postnatal care strategies to improve outcomes for twins with LBW and VLBW.…”

“…The mortality rate of 32% in our study is a stark reminder of the high risk associated with twin pregnancies and the need for specialized neonatal care. 29,30…”