Long‐term outcome of 51 liveborn neonates with non‐immune hydrops fetalis

Abstract

To search for an efficient method of management of non‐immune hydrops fetalis (NIHF), the clinical outcome of 51 newborns with NIHF was retrospectively assessed in a single centre. As the short‐term outcome, the mortality rate was mainly dependent on the causes of NIHF and the presence of pleural effusion. The survival rate of the patients with pleural effusion (7/28; 25%) was significantly lower than that of those without it (14/23; 61%) (p < 0.02). All 7 survivors with pleural effusion were diagnosed antenatally after 29 weeks of gestation and were delivered after 31 weeks of gestation. With respect to the long‐term outcome, 13 (68.4%) of 19 patients who survived beyond 1 y of age showed normal development, 2 mild developmental delay at 1 y of age and 1 mental retardation at 8 y of age, while 3 (15.8%) had severe psychomotor retardation with marked growth failure. Two of these three patients were born as very‐low‐birthweight infants. The follow‐up results indicate that pleural drainage in utero and prevention of premature delivery should be proposed to improve the outcome of NIHF patients.