Abstract
BackgroundS. Chiara hospital is the only neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the Province of Trento (Italy). It serves a population of about 460000 people with about 5000 infants per year, admitting the totality of the inborn and outborn VLBWI of the province. The aim of this work is to compare mortality, morbidity and neonatal treatment of the very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) of Trento area with those recorded in the Vermont Oxford Network (VON) during 2004.MethodsIn this retrospective analysis, the rates of complications and related treatments reported in VLBWI admitted in the S. Chiara NICU during the period 2000–2005 were compared with those recorded in the VON in 2004. The analysis included both the total populations and different weight groups.ResultsThe frequency of inborn infants was significantly higher in Trento than in VON: 91% vs 84% (MH 8.56; p-value 0.003). The administration of prenatal steroids (82% vs 74%; MH 7.47 and p-value 0.006) and caesarean section were significantly more frequent in the Trento area than in VON. In Trento significantly more VLBWI with BW ≤ 1000 grams were given surfactant prophylaxis compared with VON and significantly fewer VLBWI in every Trento weight group developed RDS (MH 18.55; p-value 0.00001). Overall rates of complications (CLD, PDA, NEC, IVH) were significantly lower than in the Vermont Oxford Network. In CLD and PDA the differences were marked also in infants weighting less than 1000 grams. Overall rates of PNX, PVL, severe grade of ROP and mortality were similar in the two populations. In Trento, significantly more infants were discharged on human milk than in VON, in both the overall population and in BW sub-groups.ConclusionOn the basis of this analysis, a less aggressive therapeutic strategy based on perinatal prevention in global management, such as that employed in Trento area, may be associated with an improvement in clinical outcomes in very low birth weight infants.
Highlights
In general the Trento policy for all the very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) is based on the early prophylactic administration of surfactant in Trento in delivery room or in the first hours of life; this step is followed by the clinical evaluation that permits to continue with a minimal handling or, if strictly necessary, with high invasivity
1500 grams, but significantly more VLBWI with birth weight (BW) ≤ 1000 grams were given surfactant prophylaxis compared with Vermont Oxford Network (VON)
In Trento, significantly more infants were discharged on human milk than in VON, in both the overall population (MH 139.7; p-value 0.00000) and in BW subgroups [Figure 1]
Summary
S. Chiara hospital is the only neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the Province of Trento (Italy). Chiara hospital is the only neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the Province of Trento (Italy) It serves a population of about 460000 people with about 5000 infants per year, admitting the totality of the inborn and outborn VLBWI of the province. Only a small number of studies involving large populations of VLBWI are available to date. More such studies may provide information on mortality and treatment approaches, and form the basis for more effective and less expensive therapeutic strategies [6]
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