All issues > Volume 27(7); 1984

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1984;27(7):648-657. Published online July 31, 1984.

Follow Up Study of the Low Birth Weight Infants Less than Birth Weight 1,500 grams.

Hyun Sook Yoon

¹Dept, of Pediatrics, Il Sin Womens Hospital, Busan Korea

Abstract

The growth and development of very low birth weight infants was evaluated in 92 of 114 survivors out of 384 babies weighing less than 1,500 grams who were born from January 1976 to December 1979 in Il-Sin Hospital. The mean birth weight and gestional age were 1,378±15.2 grams and 31±0.6 wks. Apgar score 5 or more at five minutes were in 25/92 (27%) of the surviving infants. Of the perinatal factors examined, birth asphyxia correlated significantly with both neonatal mortality and subsequent morbidity. Major causes of death were birth asphyxia, respiratory distress syndrome, intracranial hemorrhage, congenital syphilis and congenital anomalies. Gestational age, birth weight, presence of birth hypoxia and respiratory distress syndrome are important factors which influence the life and death. Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia were the most common maternal risk factor (26 cases) and the next was prolonged rupture of membranes (10 cases). When comparing the mechanically ventilated group with the nonventilated group, infants with the smaller birth weight, shorter gestational age and the presence of birth hypoxia and respiratory distress syndrome needed to have more mechanical ventilation. A two year follow-up study on the mechanically ventilated group showed comparatively few neurological abnormalities.

Keywords :Very low birth weight infant