Abstract
OBJECTIVES: to evaluate infant mortality in very low birth weight newborns from a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2002-2006). METHODS: a retrospective cohort study was performed using the probabilistic linkage method to identify infant mortality. Mortality proportions were calculated according to birth weight intervals and period of death. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate overall cumulative survival probability. The association between maternal schooling and survival of very low birth weight infants was evaluated by means of Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for: prenatal care, birth weight, and gestational age. RESULTS: the study included 782 very low birth weight newborns. Of these, (28.6%) died before one year of age. Neonatal mortality was 19.5%, and earlyneonatal mortality was 14.9%. Mortality was highest in the lowest weight group (71.6%). Newborns whose mothers had less than four years of schooling had 2.5 times higher risk of death than those whose mothers had eight years of schooling or more, even after adjusting for intermediate factors. CONCLUSIONS: the results showed higher mortality among very low birth weight infants. Low schooling was an independent predictor of infant death in this low-income population sample.
Highlights
Preterm birth, defined as birth before 37 weeks of gestational age, is associated with increased risk of death in the first year of life, even for borderline preterm infants, and birth weight appears to be one of the main predictive factors for neonatal and postneonatal survival
According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 55% of infant deaths in the United States occur in children born at a gestational age of less than 32 weeks, who represent only 2% of all births.[1]
According to the present study, infant mortality was high in very low birth weight newborns, especially among those with a birth weight between 500 and 749 g
Summary
Preterm birth, defined as birth before 37 weeks of gestational age, is associated with increased risk of death in the first year of life, even for borderline preterm infants (born at gestational age of 32 to 36 weeks), and birth weight appears to be one of the main predictive factors for neonatal and postneonatal survival. In the United States, infant mortality failed to show a decline from 2001 to 2005. This plateau is partially due to the increase in preterm and very low birth weight deliveries.[1] According to Kramer et al.,[2] possible causes of the increase in preterm births include the growing proportion of older mothers, adverse socioeconomic conditions, risk behavior during pregnancy, and new assisted reproduction techniques. According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 55% of infant deaths (in those less than one year of age) in the United States occur in children born at a gestational age of less than 32 weeks, who represent only 2% of all births.[1]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call